Two months after Walmart surprised its previously remote corporate employees with a return-to-office mandate, many are in the midst of packing up for cross-country moves.
While the company is maintaining two satellite campuses near New York and San Francisco, most workers are slated to relocate to the retailer’s hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas.
In a statement shared with Business Insider, chief people officer Donna Morris said a majority of remote workers agreed to the moves, which are helping strengthen the company culture and improve collaboration.
“Many associates are in the process of moving and are already enjoying the benefits of being together with their teams in offices on a more regular basis,” she said.
One worker with the company’s Marketplace division told Business Insider he decided to accept the relocation deal and will move to Bentonville this fall. The new 350-acre campus there will feature modern offices, restaurants, childcare facilities, a hotel, bike paths, and multiple lakes.
The worker requested not to be identified since he was not authorized to speak with the media about the directive.
He said the company was providing between $15,000 and $30,000 to cover moving expenses, plus an additional payment to account for the taxes on that amount since the IRS would treat it as income.
In addition, he said he was offered a $10,000 credit to offset any costs associated with selling his home, though he intends to hold onto the house and rent it out.
All told, he said the package was remarkably generous and that he’s eager to work at the new campus along with several other members of his current team.
“This will give me more opportunities to rise in the company than working from home would,” he said.
Even so, he’s less thrilled with the speed with which he must now pack up his home of more than three decades to move to Arkansas.
“The next four months are going to be a nightmare,” he said. “I just don’t think it needed to be this way.”
While several workers told Bloomberg they are embracing the change, one employee told the outlet he’s leaving the company due to the short timeframe.
When asked about the timing, a Walmart spokesperson pointed out that the local school district starts on August 14, and that some associates with children were aiming to beat the enrollment deadline.
In the meantime, the employee said he’s hoping to get a deadline extension approved.
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