Washington Post Cracks Down on Staff: Return to Office or Face ‘Disciplinary Action’

The Washington Post had a message for those who have not yet returned to the office for the three days per week it requires: Come back or face “disciplinary action.”

In a company-wide email sent Wednesday, Post chief human resources officer Wayne Connell called on staff to “comply now” with the publication’s work policy, which requires them to be in the office “at least three days per week.”

The office has been re-opened since March 15.

The email reads:

For all those based in one of our office locations that have come to the office at least three days per week since our March 15 return, we appreciate your cooperation and support very much. We believe that spending time in the office with colleagues makes us better as a company, affording opportunities to build relationships, build products, collaborate, and serve our readers in ways that a [Z]oom-only setting can’t entirely replicate.

With this in mind, if you haven’t complied with our 3/2 policy since our March return, or you haven’t complied consistently, we’d like to underscore the need to comply now. Beginning this Monday, June 27, please ensure that you are in the office at least three days per week, assuming you are not on approved days off such as vacation time, sick time, etc. Failure to comply with this policy may result in disciplinary action.

If you are on an approved leave (e.g. parental leave, sick leave, book leave, the special extension granted through September 12 to those with children under age five, etc.), then this policy would not apply for you until your approval leave has expired.

We believe this companywide policy strikes the right balance, allowing both in-office collaboration and greater levels of flexibility than before the pandemic, and it’s only fair that we enforce this policy consistently. We continue to evaluate the effectiveness of the 3/2 model and reserve the right to make changes in the future. In the meantime, please do your part in helping us meet these expectations

The New York Times reported last week that Post editor Sally Buzbee’s return-to-work policies “upset some employees.” Those frustrations were exacerbated by the new memo, per Times reporter Katie Robertson.

The note comes in the wake of multiple crises at the paper, including the ouster of former national political reporter Felicia Sonmez, who attacked colleagues after a sexist tweet was reposted by national political reporter Dave Weigel. Weigel was suspended without pay for a month while Sonmez was fired.

In September, the New York Times announced a similar Covid-era policy that requires employees to be in the office three days a week. Last month, however, the Times put its policy on hold because of increasing Covid cases in New York City.