Businesses are pressuring Target to force its employees to return to the office — and it’s more evidence that companies can’t win in the remote work wars

• Target is sticking to a flexible hybrid work schedule for employees at its Minneapolis headquarters.
• But small businesses around Target’s offices don’t like the policy, per the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.
• Other companies, from Amazon to Meta, require employees to come back to offices.

Companies from Amazon to Goldman Sachs are forcing employees back to their corporate offices. But not Target.

Corporate employees at Target aren’t subject to a company-wide return to office mandate, the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reported on Thursday. Managers can set requirements for their teams under Target’s policy, but workers are subject to what Target calls a “flex your day” approach, the Journal reported. That means employees can pursue a hybrid schedule instead of having to come into an office for a certain number of days each week.

“Over the past few years, we’ve reimagined how we work at our headquarters, embracing a hybrid model that provides flexibility in how our teams collaborate and do their best work,” a Target spokesperson told Insider. “Hybrid working is a strategic choice for us that we believe makes our HQ team stronger through empowerment, inclusivity and adaptability. With thousands of team members working regularly in our downtown headquarters and our continued investment in the surrounding community, we stand strong in our longstanding commitment to Minneapolis, which has been our home for more than 60 years.” 

But many businesses in Minneapolis, Target’s hometown, aren’t thrilled by the policy, the Journal reported.

In downtown Minneapolis, where the retailer has its corporate headquarters, restaurant owners say that food traffic is still down significantly compared to before the pandemic. The difference is especially pronounced around lunchtime on weekdays.

“We’ve lost an arm and a leg staying put and waiting for downtown to get back,” David Fhima, who owns two restaurants in downtown Minneapolis, told the Journal. “We’re done waiting. We’re calling on Target: Do your part, please.”

Target has taken a much more relaxed stance toward bringing employees back to the office than other major companies.

Amazon is requiring employees to report to an Amazon office at least three days a week. The company is monitoring attendance. Exceptions to Amazon’s return-to-office mandate are rare, and some employees are pushing back against the policy.

Meta also is requiring three days of in-office work starting in September, the company said in June. Goldman Sachs, meanwhile, is trying to get employees back to its offices five days a week.

Stanford economist Nick Bloom told Insider that many return-to-office mandates come from executives who work almost constantly. That approach to work likely contrasts with most of their employees, who have families and lives outside of their jobs.

Ultimately, forcing workers to return to the office hurts diversity in the workforce, Bloom said.

Updated with comment from Target.