Thousands of employees affected: Post shuts down a fifth of office buildings

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Move away from expensive real estate: By 2030, Swiss Post wants to drastically reduce office locations and bring employees together in regional centres. This is how the company responds to the need for flexible working conditions that have increased since Corona.

According to the Post, office space usage has dropped more than 40 percent compared to pre-Corona. “It’s now a matter of using our office space economically,” says Nadia von Veltheim (41), Real Estate Manager at Swiss Post. About a quarter of the more than 47,000 Swiss Post employees are affected by the measure.

Office presence remains central for Post

The first three centers will be built on an east-west axis in the cities of Olten SO, Zurich and Bern. The post office in Olten is currently being converted for this purpose. From August, employees from previous locations in Aarau and Olten will relocate there. Some locations in Bern and Zurich will also be eliminated due to the merger. Relevant employees have already been informed in the last two months.

“Our headquarters strategy is a response to changes in the business world,” says Valérie Schelker (51), Head of Human Resources at Swiss Post. Collaboration in the office remains central to Swiss Post. “People need an optimal mix so they don’t feel lonely.” In addition, this also encourages the willingness to innovate and adapt. The access system will also be fundamentally changed for this purpose. After restructuring, employees can easily search for work in all regional locations, regardless of their actual place of employment.

Focus on Romandy and Ticino

Office centers will be built in places that are easily accessible by public transport and have reasonable rental costs. The three centers in Mittelland will soon be followed by those in French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino. Focusing on French- and Italian-speaking Switzerland is part of the strategy. “By 2024, we want one-fifth of managers to speak a language other than German,” Schelker says. Also, by then, 30 percent of management positions should be held by women.

Office space has decreased by a fifth, according to the Post. What will happen to the property has not yet been finalized. Post offices are located on both owned and leased properties. In Zurich-Oerlikon and Winterthur, for example, the buildings belonged to Postfinance and will continue to include a post office. The vacant office space will be rented.

The Swiss Post estimates that the restructuring will save itself several million francs. It also makes it more sustainable: “By not cultivating and heating more land than necessary, natural resources are also conserved,” says the company.

Source :Blick