Employees Speak Out About Belk’s Return-to-Office Order

Belk’s corporate leadership informed employees on Feb. 7 that the company will end its remote work policy this summer, disrupting the lives of those who work out of state and are now left with a decision to relocate or resign. 

The announcement marks a pivot for the Charlotte retailer, which adopted a remote work policy in 2021 in the wake of the COVID pandemic, telling the Charlotte Observer then that remote work fostered better communication and higher productivity among workers, adding that employees “overwhelmingly” supported the switch. 

Belk has now informed its employees, including those who were hired in or moved to remote cities since that policy was adopted, that they will be required to work at the corporate office in Charlotte for three days a week beginning July 29. Workers who live in Charlotte will need to return to the office by May 6. 

Workers have until Feb. 28 to decide whether they will relocate, commute or resign. If employees decide not to return, it will be considered a voluntary resignation as opposed to a layoff, which means those workers will receive no severance and will not be eligible for unemployment benefits.

Multiple workers who spoke to Queen City Nerve on condition of anonymity said they were shocked by the return-to-work order, which signals a sudden and unexpected shift in company policy. 

“The announcement has everyone feeling like the rug was pulled out from underneath them after being a remote culture for nearly five years,” said one out-of-state employee who spoke to Queen City Nerve shortly after the announcement.

“Everyone is confused, shocked, angry and upset,” added another.

One employee said that, while half of their team is based in Charlotte, several members were hired when they were already living elsewhere with the understanding that they’d be allowed to remain remote throughout their tenure with the company. 

“We were fully remote with no foreseeable plans to return to office,” said one worker who received written permission from their manager to move from Charlotte to a city outside of North Carolina. “There was no issue with moving.”

In a statement sent to Queen City Nerve, Belk spokesperson Jessica Rohlik insisted that, in its 136-year history, the company has always “adapted to best serve our customers and communities.” 

“We’re proud of how our home office associates transferred to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic and are now excited to bring them back to the office,” Rohlik wrote. “We’re looking forward to working together more frequently and enhancing collaboration and productivity amongst all of our talented teams.”

An FAQ sheet issued to the impacted employees following the announcement stated that the goal of the new policy would be “to support enhanced collaboration, enable faster decision making, and improve the speed of new hire integration.”

Belk signed a 15-year lease at its property on West Tyvola Road in 2016. While the company plans to open a second corporate office in New York, it’s unclear when that office will open and employees won’t be able to choose which office they report to.

“Role locations have been selected based on business need,” the FAQ sheet states.

Little help for workers

Family planning and childcare are at the root of the concerns for many current Belk employees who spoke to Queen City Nerve about the announcement. 

Some are upset that the company is not offering any help with childcare costs.

“A lot of people at our company had kids because they were working from home and wouldn’t have to pay for daycare or childcare for a while,” one employee said.

One local employee said they moved farther away from the office because they no longer needed to commute, adding that the remote work policy played a role in their decision to have more children.

“Even many based in Charlotte now have to figure out childcare [and Belk is] doing nothing to assist with that,” said another worker over email. 

“This RTO initiative will completely change my expenses and the time I spend at home with my family, now having to account for paying for gas and childcare,” they continued. “Sadly, promotions have been rare in the past few years, and bonuses are very small, so my current salary doesn’t cover these new expenses.”

Belk is offering stipends for employees who choose to return to the office, but workers consider these benefits meager pickings.  

A new Return to Office Commuter Policy issued by Belk following the announcement states that employees who live more than 50 miles from their designated office are eligible for commuter benefits. If an employee falls within 50 miles from their office, they have to cover all commuting costs.

The commuter benefit is a stipend of 70 cents per mile if an employee lives less than four hours but more than 50 miles away from their designated office. Those workers must use their own car. If employees live over four hours away they can either use their personal car or request a rental car. All commuter benefits expire on Jan. 30, 2026. 

Employees who relocate will also receive stipends. Homeowners receive a one-time “allowance” payment of $4,000 and renters receive $1,000, according to a fact sheet Queen City Nerve viewed. The company is also offering home purchase assistance up to 1.5% of closing costs for those purchasing new homes, capped at $495, and to cover travel expenses for employees who plan to relocate.   

One employee noted that the new Return to Office Relocation Policy was posted on the company’s employee website but has since been taken down. 

Multiple employees insisted none of the stipends are adequate for renting or buying housing in Charlotte, especially considering that all stipends are taxed.

Two meetings that upturned lives

Employees were informed of the new return-to-office during a 10 a.m. meeting led by Belk CEO Don Hendricks on Feb. 7.

 “[Belk] completely upended everyone’s lives in 30 minutes on a Friday morning,” said one company employee, adding that employees had their mics muted. “It wasn’t really a very collaborative meeting where we could ask questions.” 

Hendrick stressed it would be better for the company to have an in-office culture, according to those who attended the virtual meeting. 

 “[The company] just kept using that word culture really vaguely, without addressing what it would mean to our day-to-day lives,” one employee said.

That meeting was followed by a second one at 10:30 a.m. that was led by Justin Chenetski, VP of the company’s creative department. Chenetski gave employees a chance to ask questions but offered few details in response. Instead, a company email was sent out at the end of the work day containing an FAQ fact sheet.

“That was the most disheartening for me, to see the lack of empathy,” said one employee. “I put so much time, energy [and] effort into [Belk] just to see how little they care.”

“[Belk] claims this [order] is to ‘build back culture’ and reconnect our team, but at this point, it’s likely they’ve lost the trust of most associates by asking all of us to upend our entire lives,” emailed a worker. 

“We feel a lot more productive, happier, and well-balanced in a remote environment,” the employee continued. “There doesn’t seem to be a way to reestablish the work culture they think we’ve lost without completely rebuilding a new team. It just seems to be one big slap in the face and a huge ego trip for the sake of having the power to do it.”