- L’Oreal USA, which employs nearly 11,000 people, is calling its employees back to work in its offices.
- Meanwhile, internal communications reveal a sense of fear among employees in regards to returning to the office amid rising coronavirus cases.
- “All similar employers are not returning to the office soon, especially with the current events happening in our county,” read an employee submission to an internal communication portal that was viewed by Business Insider.
- Some US employees who want to work from home are being required to give the company access to their medical history. Although, a L’Oreal spokesperson said, “In most instances, a doctor’s note is a sufficient verification.”
- “Being together is a key ingredient to our culture and essential to the success of our business in a creative industry,” L’Oreal told Business Insider in a statement. “As such, we have gradually returned employees to offices in locations around the world under a comprehensive safety plan only when permitted by local governments.”
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As offices across the country brace for a long-term work-from-home set-up, L’Oreal USA is shifting back to office life. The company, which employs nearly 11,000 people and whose brands include Garnier, Lancôme, and Urban Decay, is mandating its employees to come back to the office in a staggered process with reduced capacity.
With offices across 13 states, L’Oreal has adjusted its plans for returning to the office according to local guidance. The company confirmed that capacity in the offices will not exceed more than 50% and that returning employees will be admitted to offices on rotating schedules that alternate with working from home time.
Meanwhile, internal communications from the company reveal a sense of fear among employees in regards to returning to the office amid rising coronavirus cases, especially as similar companies keep their offices closed. Estée Lauder Companies, which owns the Clinique and Bobbi Brown brands, is not planning a tentative reopening until October, which is still subject to change.
In an email sent on July 14 to employees in Urban Decay’s California office, Urban Decay presidents Eva Erdmann, and Isabel Malbois, along with the brand’s human resources team, told employees that the closures affecting 30 counties in California implemented by California Governor Gavin Newsom would not apply to L’Oreal’s offices in the area. “We belong to a sector—’personal care/hygiene products’—that is classified as a Critical Sector by the State of California,” the email states.
Employees expressed concern through an internal communication portal that was viewed by Business Insider.
“All similar employers are not returning to the office soon, especially with the current events happening in our county,” read an employee submission to the portal. “Rushing to return employees to work is dangerous for both physical and mental health when teams have been just as productive remotely.”
In response to the questions, Erdmann and Malbois assured employees that L’Oreal would be increasing safety measures in the office and providing masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer. “The measures we are implementing to protect your safety exceed many of the guidelines set by government and health experts,” the response reads.
L’Oreal confirmed that offices have been set up to accommodate social distancing and managers have been requested to not schedule meetings before 10 AM and after 4 PM to accommodate sufficient commuting time.
Safety concerns aside, employees also expressed confusion regarding why a return to the office was necessary if the reduced capacity and social distancing measures would essentially still require remote meetings, even in the office.
“I am going to just end up sitting in a cube at the office participating in the same teams meetings as so many will still be at home,” read another submission to the portal. “Why would I come into [the] office and sit in a desk the same as I do at home and subject myself to more risk?”
In response to the questions, Erdmann and Malbois said it is important for the company to get back to normal.
“It is also very important to be together for our mental health and emotional well being,” the brand presidents wrote. in response. “We need social interactions, we need collaboration, we need to discuss ideas and have casual connection.”
L’Oréal US employees who want to work from home are being required to sign a form that releases their medical information to the company in order for it to determine if they are eligible for reasonable accommodations, according to a post on beauty watchdog Instagram account esteelaundry and three current employees of the brand.
A representative from L’Oreal noted that the company “does not ask for any employee’s actual medical records or details of a medical diagnosis. Any employee seeking a medical exemption from returning to in-office work is required to provide verification from their physician. In most instances, a doctor’s note is a sufficient verification.”
In a statement to Business Insider, L’Oreal said that it is focused on protecting its employees during the entire process of returning to the offices.
“Being together is a key ingredient to our culture and essential to the success of our business in a creative industry,” L’Oreal said. “As such, we have gradually returned employees to offices in locations around the world under a comprehensive safety plan only when permitted by local governments.”
