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Walmart is closing tech hubs and bringing IT workers back to the office

February 14, 2023Written by George Anderson

Source: Walmart tech worker recruitment video

Walmart is closing technology hubs in Austin, TX, Carlsbad, CA, and Portland, OR, and requiring workers to relocate to primary office locations in San Bruno, CA, and at the retailer’s headquarters in Bentonville, AR. Workers affected by the decision were notified last week in a memo from Suresh Kumar, Walmart’s global chief technology officer, reports The Wall Street Journal. The retailer will pay relocation expenses for workers affected by the decision and give severance to those who choose to stay put. Relocating workers are being asked to return to offices two days a week, although some will be allowed to continue working on a full-time remote basis. Workers at Walmart’s headquarters have worked in-person five days a week going back to last year, according to the Journal. Robert Munroe, Walmart's director of global communications, told Reuters, "Everything is variable; there is no set date that [this transfer] must be completed." It’s not clear at this point if Walmart’s decision to close the three hubs is its one and only move or the beginning of a major change. The retailer currently operates 11 tech hubs in the U.S., including the three being closed, and six others outside the country. Walmart has allowed its corporate technology staff more leeway when it comes to returning to the office. The Journal reports on a LinkedIn post written by Mr. Kumar in 2020 when he addressed the topic. “We’ve decided that even as restrictions are lifted and other groups in Walmart eventually return to their offices, we will take our time, and think about how we can invent the workspace of the future.” Many companies have decided to bring technology and other office workers back in person as concerns around the dangers of COVID-19 ebb. Business Insider last month developed a list of companies that now require employees to report to their offices on at least a part-time basis. Included on the list were Apple, Citigroup, Disney, Goldman Sachs, Google, JPMorgan, Salesforce, Starbucks, Twitter and Uber. A ResumeBuilder.com survey of 1,000 business leaders found that 90 percent plan to require employees to return to the office at least some of the time in 2023. Twenty-one percent plan to separate from workers who refuse to come back to work in person.

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