Kroger orders employees back to the office

Kroger Co. employees will be back in the office–at least three to four days a week–beginning in February, the company confirmed in an email. 

A story in the Cincinnati Business Courier on Monday revealed that the Cincinnati-based grocer told thousands of employees that they must start coming to the office on Feb. 5. The change does not affect most of Kroger’s employees who work on-site at their 2,700-plus stores.

A Kroger spokesperson confirmed in an email to Supermarket News that the grocer is increasing its new in-office requirement: “Our teams are thriving when we work together to achieve our goals. To better support our teams, our customers and the communities we serve, beginning Feb. 5, 2024, associates will be coming into their assigned offices for three to four days a week. We look forward to welcoming our associates more often to our beautiful downtown Cincinnati and other locations.”

A copy of the email sent to Kroger employees was not immediately available. 

The Cincinnati Business Courier story reported that in early 2021, the grocer required employees to work in-office at least two days a week. The report noted that roughly 5,800 Kroger employees work at the company’s downtown headquarters in Cincinnati. 

“We know our teams thrive when we collaborate, come together to achieve our goals and support one another,” Massa said in the email to employees, according to the news report. “This new guidance further supports that collaboration while maintaining a level of flexibility that allows our associates to best serve our customers and communities. We look forward to welcoming associates more often to our vibrant downtown Cincinnati and other locations across the U.S.”

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