Offices to reopen May 24

People who have been stuck working from home for the past year may get a change of scenery very soon. Michigan is poised to allow offices to reopen on May 24.

Offices have been required to allow people to work from home since March 2020 in order to keep COVID-19 infection rates down during the pandemic. Under the governor’s “Vacc to Normal” plan, that rule is set to expire two weeks after 55% of state residents have been at least partially vaccinated. The state hit that milestone on Monday.

However, not every at-home worker is expected to make a quick shift back to the office environment. Some people simply enjoy the freedom of working from home – and have employers that will it.

In other cases, the move back to the office may be slowed by the planning involved in reopening workspaces that have been shuttered for many months.

Case in point, Consumers Energy said it won’t reopen its offices until July 1. That gives it time to clean up office spaces, upgrade computer systems, and train employees in COVID protocols.

Even then, the company plans to allow workers to stay home if they so choose. In an interview with MLive, Consumers spokesperson Brian Wheeler said about a quarter of its 8,500 employees are expected to keep working from home.

“We encourage people to make decisions that are best suited for the needs of their jobs and families,” said Wheeler. “They can change their mind on where they work at any time. We expect this flexibility will be valued by people who are looking at possible careers with Consumers Energy.”

You can read more here.