Overview
- Fidelity said it will bring its roughly 80,000 global employees back to offices full time this fall, including more than 6,000 workers in Boston.
- New details outline five-day requirements in September for downtown Boston and sites in Merrimack, New Hampshire, Kentucky, and New Mexico, with carveouts for the Smithfield, Rhode Island campus and some customer support roles, and other schedules still to be set.
- The company said in-person work creates more chances for connection, mentorship, and learning, which it describes as key to its long-term success.
- Workers voiced mixed views on losing hybrid flexibility, and a Northeastern University professor warned that a strict mandate could prompt 5% to 10% of employees to quit.
- Local effects remain uncertain as MBTA data show about 350,000 fewer daily train riders than in 2019, though coffee shops and other downtown businesses expect a lift while traffic patterns on Mondays and Fridays stay lighter.