Due to the arrival of the Omicron variant and what the Hachette Book Group said are "other uncertainties," the publisher said it has not set a date for a full return to its offices. In September, HBG had pushed back a return date until 2022. In a new email to employees, CEO Michael Pietsch said only that HBG will return to the office "as soon in 2022 as we feel confident that we can bring people back to all of our offices safely, and we will provide at least four weeks’ notice ahead of our return date.”
Until staff members can return on a regular basis, all HBG offices remain open for employees who want or need to work in them. Anyone working from the office must continue to adhere to HBG’s safety protocols which includes being vaccinated and wearing masks in common areas, meeting rooms, and at their desk unless no one is working at an adjacent desk.
Despite another delay in getting staff back into the office, Pietsch said he still looks forward to the day when everyone can get together. "Working remotely brings enormous challenges and I am constantly impressed at how all our colleagues continue to adapt to them," Pietsch wrote to the staff. "I believe strongly in the value of doing the work we do in person, and in the connection and creativity that comes from being together. I look forward to the moment when we are able to return and once again experience these benefits.”
