August 06, 2022
Provided images/Comcast
For the first time in more than two years, Comcast's office employees will be required to return to the company's two Center City skyscrapers three days a week.
Comcast, one of Philadelphia's largest employers, is bringing its remote workers back into the office next month.
Starting Sept. 12, all Comcast employees in the U.S. will be required to come in at least three days a week, Technical.ly reported.
That means about 8,000 workers will be returning to Comcast's two Center City skyscrapers. The company has about 17,000 employees across the Philadelphia region.
Many of these workers have been working completely remote for almost two-and-a-half years now.
Those who have been hired since the pandemic began in March 2020 have likely never spent a significant amount of time in the office. This has made it a challenge to train many of them, Comcast Cable CEO Dave Watson said in a memo to his employees obtained by Technical.ly.
“It is clear that in-person interaction and collaboration is core to our company and culture,” he said. "Innovation thrives when teammates are together to spontaneously consider and debate ideas. Our ability to listen and take action on key initiatives is enhanced."
The company is requesting that employees come in on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. They will have the option to work remotely on Mondays and Fridays, the Inquirer reported.
Although there's no requirement that employees get vaccinated, the memo does encourage them to work remotely if they feel ill.
Word that the return to the office was coming first came in February. Comcast considered bringing workers back last summer, but the delta variant scuttled these plans.
This is expected to be a boon for restaurants and retail businesses in Center City, some of which are struggling now that so many former commuters are now working remotely.
Last month, the Center City District reported that the number of office workers in Center City on a daily basis was only about half of what it was before the pandemic.
