The Minneapolis skyline is set for a bit more hustle with Target Corp. calling its headquarters employees back to the office four weeks a year starting in 2024. The retail giant, which has allowed its HQ staff to work remotely since the COVID-19 pandemic made waves worldwide, is now nudging back its workforce to strike a balance between in-office and hybrid models.
Though not required to make the commute frequently, with 35% of its employees already hitting the office at least once a week, Target aims to reel in its employees for one full week each quarter – four times in the upcoming year, as reported by Axios. A spokesperson for Target, Brian Harper-Tibaldo, announced the move earlier this week, marked as an initiative to "drive connectedness, celebrate our team, and build our internal culture," according to the Axios.
The "core weeks" plan, as outlined by Harper-Tibaldo in a statement obtained by Axios, will corral employees at downtown and Brooklyn Park offices during four distinct periods - early March, late May, mid-November, and the company's annual fall national meeting in September. The schedule, designed to sync with the company's critical milestones, provides an opportunity for those who have settled into a remote work routine to reconnect with the corporate community.
Adam Duininck, CEO of the Minneapolis Downtown Council, described by FOX 9, hailed the policy as a pleasant development amidst a clamor for increased in-office presence. On behalf of downtown business owners, Mayor Jacob Frey sent out a post on Friday, bolstering the call for downtown workers to come back, stating, “If you don’t want your favorite downtown sandwich shop to close, there’s a solution for that… come back to work downtown and eat there for lunch! We’re all in this together. Let’s continue to bring downtown back."
If you don’t want your favorite downtown sandwich shop to close, there’s a solution for that… come back to work downtown and eat there for lunch! We’re all in this together. Let’s continue to bring downtown back. https://t.co/kQ4kSjiuUq
— Mayor Jacob Frey (@MayorFrey) December 15, 2023
Minneapolis' lifeline could very well be pumping back into action with Target's 7,100 downtown staffers poised to boost the area's economy once more. Yet, with the Downtown Council statistics indicating that around 63.9% of people have returned to downtown offices at least once a week, the impact of Target's move is being watched closely. Target, nonetheless, assures its glossy red squad of employees are notified well in advance to help plan out their return to the urban hub.
