Returning to a post-COVID-19 office setting

AS MORE PEOPLEGET VACCINATEDAGAINST COVID-19...LIFE HAS SLOWLYSTARTED TO SHIFTBACK TO NORMAL.CLAIREFOR MANYCOMPANIES...THATINCLUDES ALLOWINGEMPLOYEES TOCOME BACK INTOTHE OFFICE.EVELYN SCHULTZ ISLIVE IN THENEWSROOM THISMORNING...WITH HOWKENTUCKYCOMPANIES ARENAVIGATING THEPROCESS.CHRIS, CLAIRE...MANY OF US ATLEX-18 WORKEDFROM HOME FORMORE THAN AYEAR...SO WE KNOWTHE CHALLENGESINVOLVED WITH ARETURN TO THEOFFICE.AND WHILE MANYCOMPANIES AREBRINGING PEOPLEBACK... THEY SAYTHE FUTURE OF THEOFFICE IS FOREVERCHANGED.AFTER THREEDECADES AT LEXMARK... THE PASTYEAR AND A HALFPROVED ONE OF THEBIGGESTCHALLENGES YETFOR SHARONVOTAW.SHARON VOTAW,SENIOR VICEPRESIDENT ANDCHIEF HUMANRESOURCEOFFICER, LEXMARK:"I'VE ALWAYS TOLDPEOPLE OVER THEYEARS, IF YOUDON'T LIKECHANGE, YOUCAN'T WORK ATLEXMARK.

BUT THELAST 18 MONTHSHAVE BEEN ONSTEROIDS."THEY WELCOMEDEMPLOYEES BACKIN-PERSON JUNE1ST....BUT SHE SAYSTHE OPTION OFREMOTE WORK ISHERE TO STAY.LAST YEAR, THECOMPANY CREATEDA NEW POLICYCALLED "FLEX LEX."WE ALLOW UP TOTWO DAYS FORPEOPLE TO WORKFROM HOME, IF THEJOB ALLOWS FORIT.LEX-MARK ALREADYOFFERED WORKFROM HOME PRE-PANDEMIC... BUTVOTAW SAYS WE'LLLIKELY SEE IT POST-PANDEMIC... FORGOOD.OTHER EMPLOYERSARE STARTING TOCATCH UP TOWHERE WEALREADY WERE.AND SO IT'SIMPORTANT TO USTHAT WE ATTRACTAND RETAIN KEYTALENT...ATLEXMARK.

PART OFTHAT IS OFFERINGA FLEXIBLEWORKPLACEJONATHANCALDWELL, CHIEFPEOPLE OFFICER,VALVOLINE: IT'SOFFERED US A NICECOMPETITIVEADVANTAGE, AS WESEEK TO ATTRACTTOP TALENT, ANDEVEN RETAIN OUROWN TOP TALENT.VALVOLINE HAS THESAME IDEA....THEY'RE GIVINGEMPLOYEES THEOPTION TO STAYWORKING FROMHOME... OR ADOPT AHYBRID SCHEDULE.VIEWING IT AS ARESOURCE, GIVINGYOU THEOPPORTUNITY TOCOLLABORATE ANDCONNECT, THATSWHAT THEBUILDING WILL BEFOR US.WITH 500EMPLOYEES BASEDOUT OF CORPORATEHEADQUARTERS...CHIEF PEOPLEOFFICER JONCALDWELL SAYSTHERE ARE NOPLANS TO REQUIREFULL-TIME OFFICEWORK.INSTEAD... A FOCUSON FLEXIBILITY ISLIKELY THE FUTURE.IN A LOT OF CASES,MAYBE WE WEREFORCED TO DO SOMORE THAN EVERBEFORE, WITH THEPANDEMIC.

BUT I DOTHINK IT'S ONE,ONE POSITIVEOUTCOME OF THECHALLENGINGPERIOD WE'VE HADOVER THE LASTSEVERAL MONTHS.CLAIREEVELYN...WHATABOUTVACCINATIONS...HOW ARE THEYPLAYING A ROLE INTHE RETURN TOWORK FOR THESECOMPANIES?EVELYNCLAIRE... VALVOLINESAYS EMPLOYEESWHO AREVACCINATED FORCOVID-19 WILL BEABLE TO WORK INTHE BUILDING ONJULY 6TH.MANAGEMENT TOLDME EVERYONESHOULD BE ABLE TORETURN BY EARLYFALL AT THE LATEST.MEANWHILE...LEADERS AT LEX-MARK SAY THE COVIDVACCINE ISN'TCURRENTLYREQUIRED...BUTTHEY'RE STRONGLYENCOURAGINGSTAFF TO SIGN UPFOR THE SHOT.CLAIREEVELYN SCHULTZ,LIVE IN OURNEWSROOM.THANK YOU EVELYN.CHRISWE WANT TO KEEPTHE CONVERSATIONGOING ABOUTHEADING BACK TOWORK!WE HAVE A NEWTOOL TO LET USINTERACT WITHYOU...SO, WE WANTTO KNOW THISMORNING-- AFTERWORKING FROMHOME DURING THEPANDEMIC, HOWCOMFORTABLE AREYOU RETURNING TOWORK?LET US KNOW!YOU CAN HEADOVER TO LEX-18-DOT-COM-SLASH-VOTE-NOW TO CASTYOUR VOTE.YOU CAN ALSOPOINT YOURSMART-PHONECAMERA AT THE Q-RCODE HERE ONYOUR SCREEN TOTAKE YOU TO THESAME PAGE TOVOTE.WE'LL CHECK BACKIN TO SEE WHAT YOUTHINK A LITTLE BITLATER HERE ONSUNRISE.CLAIREA PANDEMICRELATED DE