Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana is asking its employees to return to the office after four years of remote work, Nola.com reported April 11.
The move comes after the company shelved plans to be acquired by Elevance Health in response to public opposition.
In a memo to employees obtained by Nola.com, BCBS Louisiana leaders said it is launching several new initiatives that will require "all hands on deck with renewed levels of connection and engagement."
The company plans to roll out Epic systems, upgrade its mobile app and invest in its Medicare products, Nola.com reported.
Some employees will be asked to return to the office five days a week, while others will be able to work remotely one or two days a week, according to the memo. The company is asking employees to return to the office by Sept. 3. A BCBS Louisiana spokesperson told the newspaper remote work policies implemented in 2020 were never intended to be permanent.
"These decisions are not being made lightly or meant to cause hardship," Chief Operating Officer Brian Camerlink wrote in a memo to employees. "They come from a recognition that we need to become more available, agile and responsive. We need to build excitement and momentum together to keep this company on a true course."
Payers have varied in their approach to remote and hybrid work models. In 2022, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee said it would commit to permanent remote work and would not require most of its employees to work in-office. Other insurers have abandoned or downsized office space as more employees work from home.
In April 2023, Cigna said it intended for most of its employees to return to full-time, in-office work.
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