Spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses small and large pivoted to remote work to keep the wheels spinning, even if the office lights weren’t on. But is that still the case?
Two of Minnesota’s largest employers: 3M and the state of Minnesota, recently announced that they want their employees in the office more often than not, leaving many to wonder if the sun is setting on remote work.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called state employees back to the office last month for at least 50% of their scheduled workdays, saying it would boost productivity and support the economic vitality of office districts like downtown St. Paul, the capital city.
Meanwhile, other organizations such as global legal publishing and media data firm Thomson Reuters have chosen to lean into remote work in recent years. Thomson Reuters listed its sprawling 263-acre Eagan campus for sale in 2023 after an employee survey revealed workers want to split their time between office and home.
The publisher downsized to a 300,000-square-foot office later that year, and is still operating on a hybrid work model.
Kaylee Thomsen, president and partner of business management consultant firm The Bailey Group, said that despite the disruptions brought to the workforce in 2020, her company noticed a silver lining.
“We saw organizations investing in their people at unprecedented rates,” she said. “They knew their people needed support, resources and strategies to keep them from burnout.”
‘Any change … comes with friction’
“Where most companies are fumbling the ball is less about the models they are choosing, and more about how they are going about doing it,” said Thomsen.
The first step is to acknowledge the change, Thomsen said. “I’ve seen a lot of organizations that keep it top secret, then all of a sudden the mandate from on high comes down and employees rightfully feel frustrated.”
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If you’re calling workers back into the office, “It can’t be because: ‘We’re going to be more productive,’” Thomsen said. “What that communicates to people is: ‘I don’t believe you’re productive working from your own office in your own home.’ That’s incredibly demoralizing.”
As a leader, you’re likely confident in your decision to bring employees back, Thomsen said, and now it’s your job to “cast that compelling narrative,” as clearly, concisely and honestly as you can.
Thomsen also notes that as a leader, you must be open to other perspectives and create environments where people are empowered to have honest conversations that can inform your decisions.
“Any change, good or bad, comes with friction,” Thomsen said. “Your ‘why’ needs to be exciting and clear enough to see people through the initial friction.”
As the traditional work model evolves and employee expectations shift, the Pioneer Press checked in with some of the St. Paul area’s largest employers to see what their work weeks look like.
3M
The 3M corporate headquarters in Maplewood as seen from Metro Transit’s new Gold Line service on March 18, 2025. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
3M announced this month that it will be requiring employees to return to the office four days a week, beginning in September.
Known for consumer products like Post-its and Scotch Tape, and an array of industrial products, 3M employs roughly 60,000 people globally, including nearly 9,300 in Minnesota, according to a Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development listing of top employers.
For Minnesota employees, returning to the office largely means returning to the corporate campus in Maplewood.
“Our ability to engage, collaborate and innovate is stronger in person,” the company said in a statement. “The value of working in the office is that it allows our teams to be present and engage on a personal level both within and outside of meetings. It also allows our teams to demonstrate our performance culture, and to focus on priorities in real-time, with speed and urgency, throughout the organization.”
Ecolab
The Ecolab headquarters building is seen prominently in the downtown skyline from West Seventh Street in December 2023. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
Founded in St. Paul in 1923, Ecolab has grown to employ some 48,000 workers worldwide and brings in annual sales to the tune of $16 billion.
Known for its business-to-business water treatment and hygiene products, Ecolab reported $4 billion in sales for its fourth quarter earlier this year, up 2% from the previous year.
Of Ecolab’s nearly 3,000 Minnesota employees, approximately 1,500 report to work at the company’s global headquarters in downtown St. Paul, said Crystina Thompson, communications manager for Ecolab.
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Unlike some businesses, office workers represent a small portion of Ecolab’s workforce, Thompson said. The majority of employees work in the field in sales and service roles, nearly 9,000 employees work at manufacturing sites and 1,600 employees work in a laboratory setting for research and development.
The current guidelines for office staff, established in May 2022, require employees to spend at least 60% of their time in the office.
“That may be three full days for some or a part of all five days for others,” Thompson said in an email, adding that the company’s human resources department has noted that employees are meeting or exceeding those requirements.
“We believe that in-person interactions are a key part of our collaborative culture, while also valuing the importance of flexibility for our associates,” Thompson said.
Securian Financial
About 2,300 Securian employees report to work three days a week at the company headquarters in downtown St. Paul. (Scott Takushi / Pioneer Press file)
Securian Financial, which has provided insurance and financial products since its founding in St. Paul in 1880, adopted remote work on a companywide basis in the early days of the pandemic.
The current hybrid work policy, which the company has been operating under since spring 2023, “has employees living within a commutable distance to our offices in St. Paul and elsewhere working three days a week in the office and two days a week virtually,” said Jeff Bakken, spokesperson for Securian Financial, in an email.
Of the insurer’s roughly 2,600 employees nationwide, about 2,300 report to work at the company headquarters at 400 N. Robert St. in downtown St. Paul, Bakken said.
“We believe a routine, on-site presence builds relationships, furthers employee learning and opportunity, and drives company productivity and business results,” Bakken said. “At the same time, we also support flexibility for our employees. A hybrid work policy supports both of these objectives.”
H.B. Fuller
Founded in 1887 and headquartered in suburban Vadnais Heights, H.B. Fuller is a manufacturer and provider of adhesives, sealants and specialty chemical products.
“H.B. Fuller has taken a leadership position within our industry as a successful adopter of a flexible working model,” said a spokesperson for the company. “We believe that work can happen anywhere, and our culture enables work from our plants, offices, homes or while traveling.”
While the spokesperson declined to comment on the number of local employees, H.B. Fuller employs some 7,500 people worldwide.
Most office employees were working a hybrid schedule by 2022. “But not everyone who worked in an office was there at the same time,” the spokesperson pointed out. “We needed a way to maximize their office time by creating meaningful engagement opportunities.”
As a result, the company launched “Collaboration Weeks” in 2024.
During these predetermined weeks, employees based out of the company’s headquarters along Willow Lake Boulevard are encouraged to be in the office Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
“To maximize their time in the office, we encourage employees to plan in-person meetings, site-based volunteering events, celebrations and other activities,” the spokesperson said. This year, H.B. Fuller will have 16 Collaboration Weeks.
Prime Therapeutics
Andy Gardener leads a meeting at Prime Therapeutics as teams were preparing to return to a hybrid office/home work environment in July 2021. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
Headquartered in Eagan, Prime Therapeutics is a provider of pharmaceutical services organization with 7,400 employees nationwide.
Approximately 1,960 Prime employees reside within a 50-mile radius of the company’s headquarters, said Erin Feigal, chief human resources officer for Prime Therapeutics, in an email.
“Prime’s workforce has a national footprint and is geographically dispersed across the nation, and we’ve found that everyone coming into the same location isn’t practical or necessary for us,” Feigal said.
As a result, all Prime employees work within its Hub and Home model, which officially launched in 2021 following the need for remote work brought on by the pandemic.
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A flexible workplace program, the Hub and Home model allows employees to work primarily from home with opportunities to work with their colleagues in person.
Prime’s Eagan headquarters, located at 2900 Ames Crossing Road, serves as the “hub” for its Minnesota-based workforce. Outfitted with work lounges, conference rooms and private workstations, the “hub” is where employees can collaborate, hold meetings and socialize.
“This model was a strategic response to both employee preferences and broader shifts in workplace culture, and the response has been positive,” Feigal said. “Providing a flexible work environment that thoughtfully encourages connection, collaboration and empowerment helps Prime’s teams feel supported in their careers and in life.”
Patterson Cos.
Headquartered in Mendota Heights, Patterson Cos. is a national supplier of medical equipment to veterinary and dental practices that employs nearly 6,000 people with 640 living in Minnesota.
The company, which was founded in 1877, has functioned on a hybrid schedule for its corporate employees in Mendota Heights for several years, “with different teams and departments encouraging employees to come to the office to connect with one another based on their particular projects and workflows,” said Chief People and Communications Officer Christine Moore, in an email.
However, change is coming as the company recently announced a formal office expectation of two days a week, beginning in late September.
“When it came to choosing this model, we focused on two key factors: connection and flexibility,” Moore said.
“We have always been a people-first organization, and creating a winning culture means listening and making sure that employees have a voice. We listened to our employees, recognized what they value, and ultimately chose two days a week in-office because we think that gives us the right balance between connection and flexibility.”
