Independence Blue Cross changes its work-from-home policy, the latest big Philly employer to require more in-office days

Abandoning what it called a “hybrid of choice” model, Independence Blue Cross will soon require employees to be in the office three days per week, Tuesday through Thursday. The change is the latest move by a top Philly employer to bring workers into downtown office towers more consistently, nearly four years after the pandemic forced many people to work remotely.

The change in work policy will take effect for managers, directors, and supervisors on March 12, and for other employees on April 2. Employees were notified this week.

The new policy will apply to all employees designated as “hybrid,” who number about 3,000. But there will be no change for roles previously deemed “required remote” or “on-site essential,” said executive vice president Crystal E. Ashby, who leads human resources, diversity, and communications functions.

“We are confident that this workplace model will create even more opportunities for collaboration and innovation,” Ashby said. “For 85 years, IBX has played a leading role in the region we call home, and we are invested in the continued success of Southeastern Pennsylvania today and in the future.”

Independence is the 16th largest employer in Philadelphia. Its headquarters at 1901 Market St. houses about 2,500 employees. It moved into that spot in 1989 and bought the 45-floor property in June 2020.

The company has a customer and community experience center at 1919 Market St., and a satellite office in Plymouth Meeting. Its affiliate, AmeriHealth, is headquartered in Cranbury, N.J.

The health insurance company had previously described its model as “hybrid” or “hybrid of choice.” That arrangement “provides our associates with the flexibility to choose whether to work remotely, work in the office every day, or work in the office on certain days at their discretion,” the company’s website said. “However, management may require our associates to work from Independence’s physical office locations on certain occasions.”

Those who worked remotely were required to do so in Pennsylvania, Delaware, or New Jersey.

Hybrid workers will be expected to work in the office for the full day on in-office days, Ashby said, while acknowledging that “associates may need flexibility to handle business needs or personal matters during the preferred workdays, just as they have in the past.” Employees should approach their managers about those situations, Ashby said.

Employees should also talk to their manager when they feel too sick to come to the office, but well enough to work from home, Ashby said. But generally, “If associates are sick, we want them to focus on getting better. Associates who are not feeling well enough to work will be expected to stay at home and use their PTO so they can recover.”

Independence employees have taken to a nonpublic, internal online forum to express their concerns about the announcement, according to employees who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the discussions were internal. Workers were surprised at the sudden change in policy after nearly four years being able to work remotely, and some worried about the challenges they may face in securing child care. One person posted to Reddit about the policy, saying the policy change was especially difficult for people who had children within the last four years.

Since COVID-19-related business shutdowns began nearly four years ago, many of Philadelphia’s largest employers have asked workers to return to regular in-person work at least part-time. Some have increased that requirement over the past year.

Comcast, which has about 8,000 Philadelphia employees, shifted to a schedule of four days in the office per week in September. The company announced the change, an increase of one in-office day from the previous policy, in late June, and stressed that flexibility would still be allowed.

For employers whose functions can be done remotely, hybrid arrangements seem to have emerged as the most popular long-term plan, but the specifics have varied widely.

Employment has grown in the region, but the number of workers present downtown remained lower last year than pre-pandemic, Center City District reported in December. The number of nonresident workers physically present in Center City averaged just under 100,000 per day in November, the organization said, which is 73% of 2019 levels.