Patagonia, a brand renowned for its flexible work hours and environmental activism, is making a significant shift in its operational model. The company has asked a third of its customer service staff to relocate to one of seven U.S. cities or part ways with the company. This decision comes as the company found itself 200 to 300% overstaffed for much of the last year, with many staff members only having about two hours of work a day.
The company began piloting the “hub” model last year due to negative feedback about being fully remote. Many employees missed the cultural aspects of Patagonia and were concerned about career progression and feeling isolated. Under the new model, 90 of its 255 staffers are being asked to move within 60 miles of a new “hub” city—Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Reno, Dallas, Austin, Chicago, or Pittsburgh. The company has offered to help pay for the cost of relocating.
However, some staff members have expressed dissatisfaction with the timeline given to make the decision, calling it rushed and unreasonable. Despite the controversy, Patagonia maintains that it has been transparent about the transition to the hub model and that the change could have happened sooner given the company’s overstaffing problem. The company’s future direction under this new model remains to be seen.
Read more: fortune.com
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