LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – Humana Inc., Louisville’s biggest corporate headquarters, is plotting its employees’ gradual return to the office starting in September after nearly a year of remote work during the pandemic.
With more than 12,000 Louisville-area employees, Humana is by far the largest office occupant in the Central Business District, and the prospect of the company’s return to in-person work would be a significant shot in the arm for restaurants, cafes and other downtown service businesses.
More than 90% of Humana’s workforce – just shy of 50,000 people nationally – has been remote since the pandemic took hold in early 2020, including those based in Louisville.
“(W)e are working toward having our offices fully operational right after Labor Day and for associates to more broadly enter the workspace,” Humana Chief Administrative Officer Tim Huval wrote in an April 22 memo to "people leaders" within the company, a copy of which was obtained by WDRB News.
“While our offices have remained open throughout the pandemic for critical and specific needs, this next step will broaden the opportunities for targeted in-person team based events or for individuals to leverage the offices as outlined by their leader,” Huval wrote.
Huval said that from late April through early June, supervisors would decide the details of “how, when and where teams will come back together.”
“These decisions will be based largely in part on business, customer and associate needs along with a data-driven, core set of criteria including community COVID cases and vaccination rates, state and local guidelines, and other environmental considerations (schools, child care availability, etc.),” he said.
In a statement Thursday, Humana spokeswoman Jahna Lindsay Jones confirmed the plan to “have our offices fully operational after Labor Day and for employees to have the option to broadly enter the workspace starting at that time.”
She declined to say what percentage of Humana’s local workforce may return to office locations. While the move “broaden(s) the options for our employees,” Humana will “remain flexible” to employees’ needs, she said.
“This decision is based on the needs of the business and our employees along with a data-driven, core set of criteria including community COVID cases, vaccination rates, state and local guidelines and other environmental considerations. We continue to be adaptable because many of our employee’s work from a variety of workplaces through their day,” Jones said.
Downtown Louisville has struggled with emptiness over the last year as the pandemic kept workers home, canceled conventions and obliterated bourbon tourism.
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The situation also exacerbated a pre-pandemic glut of unused office space in the Central Business District due to factors like corporate consolidation and technological efficiencies at law firms, banks and other professional service businesses.
Rick Ashton, an office specialist in the Louisville office of real estate brokerage JLL, said the potential return of Louisville’s biggest corporate headquarters to in-person work is “encouraging news.”
“It’s a great sign, not only for Humana but to all the other companies that provide services to Humana or have affiliated relationships, (such as) law firms (and) accounting firms,” Ashton said. “ … I think we’re heading in the right direction and people are more comfortable today returning to the office than six months ago.”
Humana's complete statement:
Our commitment is always to the health and safety of our employees and we remain flexible to their needs. We are working towards and planning to have our offices fully operational after Labor Day and for employees to have the option to broadly enter the workspace starting at that time.
While our offices have remained open through the pandemic for critical and specific needs, this next step will broaden the options for our employees. This decision is based on the needs of the business and our employees along with a data-driven, core set of criteria including community COVID cases, vaccination rates, state and local guidelines and other environmental considerations. We continue to be adaptable because many of our employee’s work from a variety of workplaces through their day.
