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Add John Hancock to the list of Boston companies increasing time in-office

John Hancock employees will be required to spend three days a week in-office starting in April.

By Ross Cristantiello

February 23, 2024

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Another major Massachusetts employer is preparing to increase the amount of time that employees are required to spend in the office. 

John Hancock, the insurance giant headquartered in Boston, will begin asking employees to come into the office for three days a week starting in April, a spokesperson said Friday. 

The company has been operating under a hybrid model for most employees, and they will be able to work remotely for one full work week per quarter as part of the new “updated approach,” the spokesperson said. 

“We’ve adopted a flexible working approach that focuses on well-being through developing strong, trusted connections with colleagues, so we continue to innovate and create together. For most colleagues, this includes a hybrid model where they can benefit from the benefits of being in the office on three core days, as well as working remotely, every week,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

“We’re excited about the opportunities ahead this year for our company and believe that a third day in office starting this April will enable us to better achieve our potential as an organization,” the statement read.

The news comes a few days after Fidelity Investments announced that employees would be required to double their in-office time. Hybrid workers there currently have to come into their offices one out of every four weeks. Starting in September, they will have to come in two out of every four weeks. 

John Hancock President and CEO Brooks Tingle told Boston Business Journal this week that the company is trying to find the right balance for employees, and that most will now spend Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in the office. These days could change depending on specific circumstances. 

John Hancock has more than 3,000 employees in Greater Boston, according to BBJ. 

The company’s move to increase in-office time to three days per week is in line with findings from Gallup. Last year, it found that working in-person for two or three days a week “resulted in the best outcomes for employee engagement.” Outcomes were worse for those forced to work in-person five days a week. 

As more and more employers assess the benefits and downsides of remote work, employees are increasingly bristling at the idea of spending more time in the office. The pain of commuting is a top reason they give for preferring to work remotely. The average commute for American workers has steadily risen over the past couple decades. Longer commutes are associated with anger, stress, high blood pressure, back pain, fatigue, and obesity, Gallup found. 

Tingle told BBJ that he is aware of the impacts of commuting. 

“I love being with people and I think most people like that,” Tingle told BBJ. “But at the same time, there’s no denying … that the commutes are just soul-crushing in some ways. So there’s a lot of work that we need to do.”

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