#returntooffice

My takeaway from today’s call and the chatter on this board is that RTO monitoring as it stands, is a credibility problem of our own making. We are asking employees to comply with a policy that many in leadership (including HR) itself is not following. Let’s call it what it is, enforcing RTO requirements from home isn’t just inconsistent, it’s indefensible. Either we empower and trust managers to run their teams and have discretion (yes!), or we require leaders to meet the same expectations. But a NI or termination for non-compliance while managers and HR deliver that from their couches looks pretty bad.

Regarding the Humana RTO policy, what is the... Live within 50 mile radius of Talent Hub requirement?

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The Humana Return to Office (RTO) policy, which has evolved significantly through 2025 and into 2026, utilizes a 50-mile radius as the standard threshold for determining whether an associate is required to work in person at a "Talent Hub" or corporate office.

How the 50-Mile Requirement Works

The core of the requirement is based on your primary residence in relation to a designated Humana office or hub.

Proximity Rule

If you live within a 50-mile radius of a Humana Talent Hub or corporate office, you are typically classified as a hybrid or office-based employee. This means you are expected to report to that physical location for a set number of days per week (or month), depending on your specific department's guidance.

Talent Hub Locations

Humana has identified specific cities as Talent Hubs to centralize collaboration.

Key hubs include:  

Atlanta, GA

Louisville, KY (Corporate HQ)  

Washington, D.C.

Additional Hubs: Austin, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, and New York City.

Remote Eligibility

Generally, associates living outside the 50-mile radius of these locations are eligible to remain in a fully remote status. However, even remote associates may be required to travel to a hub for quarterly meetings or specific team "co-location" events.  

Impact on Associates

The enforcement of this radius is part of Humana's broader strategy to consolidate its real estate footprint while increasing in-person collaboration.

Commuting Responsibility

If you are within the 50-mile zone, the commute is considered "normal home-to-work travel," meaning travel costs are generally not reimbursed by the company.

Exceptions

Exceptions are typically handled on a case-by-case basis and usually require high-level leadership approval. These are often reserved for specific roles that have been designated as "permanently remote" regardless of location, or for documented medical accommodations.  

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Humana’s "Talent Hub" strategy represents a shift from the traditional "sea of cubicles" to a "destination office" model. As of 2026, the company has significantly consolidated its real estate (notably exiting the iconic Michael Graves-designed Humana Tower in Louisville) to focus on smaller, high-tech, high-amenity spaces.

1. Design & Layout

The "Neighborhood" Approach

Humana has moved away from assigned seating in favor of Activity-Based Working (ABW). The layout of a typical Hub is divided into "Neighborhoods" tailored to specific needs:

Collaborative "We" Spaces

These make up the heart of the Hub. They include "Project Zones" with mobile furniture that teams can reconfigure on the fly, and "Huddle Rooms" equipped with 360-degree cameras and digital whiteboards for seamless hybrid meetings.

Quiet "Me" Spaces

For focused tasks, Hubs feature "Quiet Cars" (inspired by Amtrak). These areas have higher acoustic panels, carrels, and a strict "no-talking" rule to mimic the productivity of a home office.

Residential Aesthetic

The design uses a "hospitality-first" palette—natural wood, soft lighting, and ergonomic furniture that feels more like a living room or a boutique hotel than a sterile clinic.

The "Connected Café"

A central social anchor in each Hub, serving as a semi-public space for informal networking, coffee breaks, and "touchdown" work between meetings.

1. Usability & Technology

The usability of these spaces is governed by what Humana calls a "Phygital" experience—merging physical space with digital tools:

Intelligent Booking

Employees use an app to reserve desks or lockers. Over time, AI learns your preferences (e.g., "Mark prefers a standing desk near a window") and suggests spots when you book.

Smart Building Integration

In 2026, many Hubs utilize AI-powered lighting and HVAC systems that adjust in real-time based on occupancy and natural light levels to improve comfort and reduce energy waste.

Concierge Service

Moving away from traditional security-desk entrances, Hubs now feature a "Community Host" or concierge to help associates navigate the tech, find their teams, or troubleshoot equipment.

1. Employee Occupancy & Utilization

Humana’s occupancy strategy is built on the reality that the office is no longer the "default" location for daily tasks.

Daily Occupancy Rates

As of 2025–2026, daily building utilization typically hovers around 25% to 30% of the total local workforce. The offices are designed for "peak" days (usually Tuesdays through Thursdays) rather than 100% capacity.

Intentional Presence

The goal isn't "headcount" but "interaction." Humana measures success by "Experience-Based Metrics"—tracking how often collaboration zones are used and whether employees feel a sense of belonging, rather than just badge-swipe data.

Louisville Consolidation

The most dramatic shift in occupancy occurred in Louisville, where Humana moved its remaining in-office staff into the Waterside and Clocktower buildings, opting to renovate these spaces for $20 million rather than maintain the oversized and aging 27-story Tower.

Living just outside that 50-mile radius—these Hubs are designed to be the place you go for high-value team events rather than a place you'd expect to sit and answer emails all day.

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While Humana does not publicly disclose a single "total" price tag for the entire Talent Hub initiative, we can estimate the investment based on their 2024–2026 real estate filings and renovation permits.

Humana is currently executing a multi-year "Value Creation" strategy aimed at saving approximately $1 billion in annual administrative costs, part of which involves moving out of high-cost legacy real estate and into modernized, efficient Hubs.

1. Renovation & Build-Out Costs

The average investment to transform a standard office into a "Talent Hub" involves high-end technology integration and "hospitality-style" interior design.

Flagship Renovation (Louisville)

Humana recently filed permits for a $20.1 million renovation of the 10th through 12th floors of the Waterside Building (roughly 150,000 square feet). This averages out to approximately $134 per square foot for the interior fit-out alone.

Satellite Hub Estimates

For smaller Talent Hubs, like the Atlanta hub, typical Class A office "spec-to-hub" conversions in the current market range from $100 to $150 per square foot.

Total Portfolio Spend

Given the consolidation of dozens of offices into approximately 10–12 major Hubs, the total capital expenditure (CapEx) for the physical transformation of these spaces is estimated between $150 million and $250 million nationwide.

1. Technology & "Phygital" Infrastructure

A significant portion of the expenditure is "invisible"—invested in the digital layer that makes the Hubs usable:

Hybrid Meeting Tech

Equipping "Huddle Rooms" with 360-degree cameras (like Logitech Sight or Owl systems) and integrated scheduling panels costs roughly $15,000 to $25,000 per room.

AI & Proprietary Apps

Developing and maintaining the custom desk-booking and "Experience" apps used by employees represents a multi-million dollar ongoing operational expenditure (OpEx).

1. Real Estate Savings (The "Off-Set")

It is important to view these expenditures as part of a cost-reduction play.

The Humana Tower Exit

By exiting its 27-story namesake tower in Louisville, Humana avoided massive maintenance and utility costs. That building is currently being redeveloped by third-party developers into a hotel in a project valued at $600–$700 million—costs that Humana is no longer responsible for.

Occupancy Reduction: Because the Hubs are designed for roughly 30% daily occupancy, Humana has been able to reduce its total square footage by an estimated 40% to 50% since 2023, leading to massive savings on leases and property taxes.

The Bottom Line

Humana is spending hundreds of millions upfront to modernize these spaces, but they expect to recoup that investment within 3–5 years through reduced lease obligations and lower utility/maintenance costs across their smaller, smarter footprint.

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This is why we know RTO is about getting rid of employees without paying them severance.

https://medium.com/@danielychang/the-basement-and-the-boardroom-7d7e7dbee7c2

Another wave of RTO emails went out today. Just like this place to send out bad news on a Friday. RTO date set for June 15th for those who got the email.

Have been hearing a consistent rumor this week and wanted to see what others have heard.

Allegedly the week of 4/12 there will be a notice sent to remote workers saying you have 30 days to decide whether you will relocate to Minneapolis. If you decide yes, you need to be back by July 1st, if you decide no, you lose your job.

Apparently this will impact merch (buyers) and planning? Potentially IM as well (which I doubt), but essentially members of the core roundtable.

Is this just a rumor or should I actually start preparing??? What are others hearing?

https://www.businessinsider.com/paramount-skydance-return-to-office-rto-mandate-remote-employees-relocate-2026-3

The return-to-office mandate seems to apply only to rank-and-file employees, as leadership and management remain conspicuously absent

We Put People First
It's the companies time to make employees feel valued for their efforts! Workers are foundational to corporate success, so it's important to make them feel empowered and valued.

We Power Potential
Unfortunately all the toilets exploded in the Englewood Office while scheduled repairs were being done, and let me say the smell was nefarious and permeated the entire office.

We Value Diversity
At the water cooler, the horrible smell was all people were discussing. This is much different than normal mutual agreement of how much time and energy is wasted sitting in traffic . With these new conversations about the smell of human waste, I have some new business solutions. Truly water cooler conversations are critical to business success, and I'm frankly surprised we even schedule meetings anymore when we all know without the water cooler, we could not succeed.

We Do the Right Thing
I can think of no better irony or metaphor to USBs RTO approach. Employees are forced drive to work, with skyrocketing gas prices, during dangerous protests, and in in climate weather - all to take remote meetings in a a noisy distracting environment, that smells like human waste.

We Value Diversity
But that's just the smell of collaboration! And an accurate reflection on how much the company values the contributions and work that actually builds the company.

We Stay a Step Ahead
Sure the bathroom maintenance could have been done the previous weekend or after business hours, but how could we smell our own success if we did it while people weren't there to enjoy it.

Any insights on discontinuation of AIP? Also, hearing that Director level and above will have some form of RTO mandate.

My whole team is remote. I was told that I need to go to the office 3 days/week starting April. Nobody knows where I'm supposed to be reporting... the chicago office has 50+ stories. There was zero guidance during my orientation.

https://share.google/yCnfFlv0cN1lZFXeM

Gas prices jumping just in time for return to office! Who else is stoked?! Good thing my comp review rewarded me 800 extra dollars for the whole year! Just in time

Many workers view return-to-office mandates negatively. They often perceive these directives as stealth layoffs. Remote work was common five years prior. This situation has changed dramatically recently. The article explores these impacts on companies and staff.

https://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/news/2026/03/23/remote-work-stealth-layoffs.html

A lot of quiet quitters and underperformers on this forum

Not at all. They've been looking for any excuse to cull the herd.

They're just je-king us around, aren't they? Maybe they'll tie it to a gas price threshold - check the pump each morning, find out if you're driving in. Next-gen attrition tactics!

If you want to spend more of your time chilling at home and spending time with your cats, why did you apply to TIAA in the first place?

The 3 days rule has in place for years..they only started to enforce it for real recently.

Another reason to add for employees to quit, on top of several toxic reasons that AT&T created for the employees is the increase in gas prices. This is a goldmine for AT&T execs who want employees out. You'd think they'd come to their senses, noooo, they are very happy that the increase happens, because it will expedite the quitting. AT&T is not interested in retaining employees and customers. They recently announced to increase the plan of those grandfathered accounts. They do not care. They are hoping that you are TOO LAZY to move out of AT&T plan, and even if 20% do leave AT&T, they still get money from those 80% that are paying more.

So expect more RTO enforcement, even if gas prices reach $12 in CA or $8 in the SE.

April 1! You ready for the Hunger Games? 4 days in office 8 hours a day. Those microwaves are going to be cranking all day long. Seats will be hard to come by and those Focus rooms will be filled to the brim with all the “look how important I am” workers.

The Keyboard and mouse at each station will be filled with germs and who knows what other funky bits. And those bathrooms, oh those bathrooms will ripe with unbelievable smells.

On the other hand, the collaboration that will take place will be incredibly helpful to furthering the foundation of Tech and Risk across all teams. For once WF got it right. Only way to make it better would be to have everyone come in 5 days a week. That’s just a pipe dream at this point, I guess. But a dreamer can dream

I am on maternity leave and have a private office in NY. Have they announced or will be announcing any changes to workplace excellence/ return to office? I just want to know what to expect. My manager said changes were coming but delayed - anyone know when?

Increase the in-office mandate right when gas prices are pushing people's budgets to the limit. Nothing says "we value our employees" like forcing them to choose between a paycheck and a tank of gas.

Friday tomorrow, you know what that means, focus room reserved. I’ll be there at 6am with my yeti cup full 3/4 Jack Daniels 1/4 Joe. I’ll spend the morning researching March madness picks and calling my bookie, from the privacy of my office of course. I’ll go for my 30 minute morning dump and then a walk to see some friendlies around 9. Obviously share the sauce. Around 11 I head out for a liquid lunch at a nearby watering hole then take a little siesta in the truck. When I wake up I head back inside to jiggle my mouse and watch March madness games. It’s 2pm before you know it and I’ve hit my 8 hours, weekend is here. Time to close up and head to the bar for a couple more drinks and a basket of wings while I cash my bets. RTO ain’t so bad, there’s really no pressure to do anything besides show up and check the box. Life is good.

Is WIM still 3/2? Any talk about going 4/1?

You know - increased efficiency, better outcomes. Measurable effects of increased collaboration. By how much people became more creative and better at problem solving. And of course, how much happier and healthier we are from coming into the office and being around other people.

I can only speak for myself. My life has improved immensely. I'm positively cheerful. I get excited every time I pull into a gas station to tank up. I've made so many new friends! Doesn't matter that none of them are on my team. I barely see my family anymore, but socializing in the office is a fair tradeoff. And where else would I find time to listen to my favorite podcasts if not during my hour-plus commute? So many improvements!

..slackers, all of you. /s

Any updates or insights on how the Return to Office mandate is going in Palm Bay/Brevard County?

I overhead that all senior level grade 9 and above will be required to be in the office a minimum of 5 (count them) five days. This is to role model full RTO before making this mandatory for the rest of the employees.

Is this being reported on? Four days in the office is too much, the low morale in the office is ki-ling me.

Expectations are becoming so unrealistically high that I'm sure they're setting us up to fail.

Popular Stank Patrick's sayings and their real meanings.

"May the road rise to meet you." – Have fun on your RTO commute

"A best friend is like a four-leaf clover: hard to find and lucky to have." – You'll have a chance to make friends in the office.

"May you live as long as you want, and never want as long as you live." – Stop stealing office supplies.

"May your heart be light and happy, may your smile be big and wide, and may your pockets always have a coin or two inside!" – Two coins. That's your raise.

"Don’t be breaking your shin on a stool that’s not in your way." – You're not getting workmen's comp.

"May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow." – Yeah, there's a lot of mold in the buildings but we're not cleaning them.

“Innovate, use the latest tech, develop the latest tech. Now hurry up and go into the office instead of working remotely.” Talk about old school. Yet we try to sell that we are on the ‘cutting edge’.

Employees of Intel not in alignment with RTO will begin to be culled starting in April.

Has anyone heard anything lately on if/when they are going to push for us to return to office again

For those of you who have been mandated to return to the office 4 days a week are you complying? Has anyone heard of what consequences we face if we don't comply?

Just going to leave this here.

https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/5775420-remote-first-productivity-growth/amp/

I’ve been noticing a lot of new jobs it’s requiring in office work. They just opened up jobs for MDU and SMB. These jobs have a state requirement. So, it seems they might be pushing towards in office work and not remote. I’m just curious what will happen if you’re not in a business office area and they require you to “return to office” when you’ve never worked in an office and do not live near one.

I know of 3 people who got warnings today, and one of them was fired. Supposedly the one that was fired was averaging 4 hours per day and would leave after lunch. Seems like half of TIAA will be let go

I just heard from two different trusted sources that managers are receiving lists of employees who aren't on campus 4 days per week. Supposedly this is either already happening or will happen in all groups.

How serious are they about this return to office? I’ve been coming in one or two days a week and my manager has never said anything to me about it.

Looking to apply at this location, please give me scoop on RTO. Current schedule is currently 3 days- is there any talk of going to 5? Thanks.