Woolpert Fully Reopens Offices in North America with Flexible Schedule Options

Woolpert is fully reopening its offices in North America, 16 months after employees were asked to shelter in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The international architecture, engineering, geospatial (AEG) and strategic consulting firm has 42 offices in three countries and a staff of more than 1,300. The enforcement of masks at each office will align with the laws of each state or region, and vaccinations will not be required of Woolpert employees unless mandated by a client per a specific project.

Woolpert employees were given the choice to work full time in the office, continue to work remotely or to work a hybrid schedule in which they and their managers determine the days they work in the office each week. More than 90% of the staff indicated they would like to work either hybrid or remotely, and each can modify that selection moving forward. Woolpert COO Kirk McClurkin said these options were provided because the staff requested this flexibility and because they have demonstrated that they can be successful in this environment.

“We were pleased that throughout the pandemic, thanks to the hard work of people who worked in often challenging conditions, we successfully maintained productivity levels,” McClurkin said. “We have built a performance-driven and trust-based culture, which our employees have embraced and championed. This has helped us create a flexible structure to support our staff personally and professionally, enabling them to collaborate and innovate to enhance project deliverables and advance quality management.”

The reopening is the fourth and final stage of the firm’s Roadmap to Reopen, which was introduced in May 2020. Woolpert Chief Human Resources Officer Shanda McKinney said the Roadmap was developed to ensure employee safety while supporting client needs as the COVID situation evolved. She said employee surveys conducted throughout the pandemic generated feedback that has been crucial to the success of the Roadmap.

“Honestly, the best thing we did was that we really listened to everybody,” McKinney said. “This helped us respond to our staff’s most pressing needs by providing everything from technology support to implementing measures like our COVID charge number, which helped employees pay for COVID-related testing and family medical care. Our goal was to ease the burden of the pandemic for our staff while continuing to take care of business.”

McKinney said this flexibility is consistent with multiple cultural initiatives developed in the last two years at Woolpert, which has been selected as a Great Place to Work by its employees for five straight years. These include the firm’s Inclusion and Diversity Network and its Freedom to Work Policy, which enables employees to take time off when they need it, to take time to volunteer when coordinated with their manager, and to select how and where they work around the world.

“We are excited to be able to provide these essential and competitive benefits, and to know they are being well received,” McKinney said. “Our most recent Roadmap to Reopen survey reported a more than 95% approval rating of the support we have provided during this process. That makes us feel like we’re moving in the right direction.”

Related News

From Archive

• Most Read
• Most Commented