Mindy Garrett, the new Chief People Officer at Henderson Engineers, was recently featured in a Kansas City Business Journal article about the firm’s return-to-office plans. As the head of Henderson’s human resources division, she plays an important role in welcoming employees back to the office after more than a year of working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

During her interview with the publication, Garrett highlighted Henderson’s commitment to flexibility moving forward.

“Being able to shift and work remotely has given Henderson a different feel for how employees can actually be successful,” she explained. “Just with what life throws at you, we won’t be forcing everyone to be in offices.”

Consequently, Henderson has introduced the option of hybrid work schedules as part of its post-pandemic return-to-work plan. Beginning in the fall of 2021, employees at Henderson’s 12 locations nationwide will only be required to report to the office three business days a week – at their discretion. Employees who want to continue working remotely full time will have the option to apply to do so. Hoteling stations are now available to allow those who forfeit a permanent desk in favor of working from home to take advantage of office space when needed.

Garrett also shared details about building upgrades Henderson employed to support employee health and safety even after the pandemic subsides. At its headquarters, Henderson installed UV lights in air handling units to help with infection control and developed an air purifying system for elevators to improve air quality. The firm also built its own contact tracing app for employees to input data before entering the office at the start of each day. Guests will also be required to complete screenings before accessing the building for the foreseeable future.

To read the full Business Journal article, visit  https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2021/06/03/henderson-engineers-cpo-garrett-return-to-work.html.