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September 26, 2024

Major CT employer will shift to 5-day, in-office requirement

COSTAR Pratt & Whitney’s East Hartford headquarters at 400 Main St.
By Greg Bordonaro

Amazon isn’t the only company moving to a five-day, in-office work requirement for employees. 

East Hartford jet-engine maker Pratt & Whitney, a major Connecticut employer, recently told its employees that hybrid work arrangements will be ending for most workers in mid-October. And starting on Oct. 15, employees are expected to be in the office five days a week, according to sources familiar with the policy. 

Pratt & Whitney, which is a subsidiary of defense and aerospace giant RTX Corp., declined to comment about its office work requirements, but did issue a statement to the Hartford Business Journal about its recent policy shift. 

“As we aim to constantly improve our efficiency in meeting customer needs, Pratt & Whitney is working closely with our teams to increase our on-site presence,” the statement read. “By offering expanded opportunities for in-person collaboration, we can accelerate knowledge-sharing, increase connection and sharpen our focus on execution. We are making investments in our facilities in East Hartford to support this increased on-site presence and value the contributions of our employees in support of our global customer base.” 

Employers for years have been struggling to get workers back to the office, after the pandemic led to a widespread embrace of remote work — a perk enjoyed by many employees. As the U.S. moves further away from the pandemic, many employers have embraced hybrid work models that require employees to be in the office at least part of the week. 

Increasingly, large U.S. companies have been instituting five-day, in-office policies in hopes of restoring more collaborative and innovative cultures. 

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy notified employees earlier this month that the e-commerce giant’s corporate staffers are expected to be back in the office five days a week, starting Jan. 2.

That reignited the national debate over work models. 

Pratt & Whitney in 2021 announced a policy that allowed the majority of its salaried employees to work remotely at least part of the week. Pratt said at the time it would still require in-person attendance for workers in its manufacturing facilities, but the large majority of the company's 8,250 salaried employees in Connecticut would be able to work from home, or split time between in-office and at-home work.

The company, at the time, also announced plans to consolidate its office workers into four buildings on its East Hartford headquarters campus, reducing its office footprint by 50%.

However, this spring, Pratt indicated it may need more office space in East Hartford. The company submitted plans to the East Hartford Planning and Zoning Commission to construct a new 465,000-square-foot office building on its headquarters campus.

The company said the zoning application didn’t signal any commitment to build the new office, but was a required step as it reviews and considers its real estate options.
 

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