Rite Aid is reconfiguring its corporate workforce under a remote-first approach, the pharmacy giant announced Tuesday.
The new model focuses on flexible options for employees while also establishing a new headquarters in Philadelphia that allows for in-person work and company gatherings rather than a traditional office space, according to the announcement.
Rite Aid is planning to open regional collaboration centers across the country to reach its employees beyond the Philadelphia area, the company said.
“This announcement signals the start of a bright new day at Rite Aid. We’re changing our business from the inside out, and our reimagined workplace is the latest exciting step toward the future of this company,” said Rite Aid CEO Heyward Donigan in a statement.
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“We believe in remote work, and as we lean into it for the long term, we are investing in a physical footprint that will facilitate its best version," Donigan said. "We’ve heard directly from our associates that teams want and need to meet in-person, and we think we’ve found the right balance between the flexibility of remote work and the power of on-site collaboration.”
The company decided to update its corporate work model following feedback from corporate employees, the vast majority of whom said they preferred working remotely due to the greater flexibility, work-life balance and productivity.
Input from corporate associates was key to formulating the new strategy. The company currently has 2,800 corporate associates, according to the announcement.
“This transformation of our workforce brings Rite Aid into the modern era of work. We can recruit the best talent regardless of their location, and we can give our corporate associates the freedom and flexibility that today’s workers crave,” said Jim Peters, chief operating officer at Rite Aid, in a statement.
“Our new headquarters and collaboration centers will have a unifying effect on our enterprise and serve as an important space for our teams to be together when needed. I think it’s especially meaningful that these changes were shaped by our associates, whose input we solicited along the way—this approach aligns with one of our core values: get there together," Peters said.