Following up on an email she sent to employees in April about return-to-work plans, Penguin Random House US CEO Madeline McIntosh wrote to staff yesterday saying that, assuming all goes well, September 13 is the planned date for beginning to reopen its offices. McIntosh explained that there is still more work to be done in restarting building services, and said some of that work will take place after the offices are reopened. She urged the staff to see the reopening plan “as a work in process.”
In her earlier email, McIntosh had said that PRH will be a “remote-friendly” workplace, and in yesterday's letter, she noted that that remains the case. In that regard, McIntosh said that the publisher will send out a “very short” form in the next week “so we can get a simple count of how many people are likely to be in the buildings this fall.”
McIntosh also said that PRH will require all employees and visitors entering its buildings to be fully vaccinated. “We understand that not everyone is vaccinated, and, as a reminder, it is completely OK to continue to work in full-time remote mode,” McIntosh wrote. “The requirement only applies to those entering the offices. Those of you in distribution center offices should refer to your local policies.” She added that the process for submitting vaccination documentation is still being worked out, “but it will be in place in plenty of time before the opening.”
