Companies from Apple to General Motors to Goldman Sachs are grappling with how to coax employees back to the office. Harley-Davidson is taking a different tack: let them stay home.
The 119-year-old motorcycle manufacturer shuttered its Milwaukee, Wisconsin, headquarters in March 2020 and has not fully opened it since.
Chief executive Jochen Zeitz is even planning to repurpose the 500,000-square-foot complex later this year, showing how serious Harley is in its commitment to remote work.
Mr Zeitz, who took over in 2020, is the father of two young children and splits his time between homes in Milwaukee and his ranch near Santa Fe, New Mexico.
He says a combination of the Covid-19 pandemic and fatherhood convinced him that the flexibility of virtual meetings was far preferable to “less inclusive” physical office spaces.
“Having the ability to just push a button wherever that person sits, get that person online, or create a meeting — that is not defined by which floor you sit on and who’s in the corner office,” Mr Zeitz said in an interview.
“It democratises the way we work together and allows you to bring the best talent into the company, no matter where they sit.”
That tolerance of nomadic employees is not only about altruism: Mr Zeitz spun off Harley’s e-bike business last month through a reverse merger, declaring LiveWire Group the “first virtual electric motorcycle company”.
With the global car industry going electric, he is in a fierce battle for engineering talent, and he has recruited from places such as Rivian Automotive and Tesla.
LiveWire has a research and development lab in Silicon Valley and engineering and product development in Milwaukee. The bikes are assembled at Harley’s factory in York, Pennsylvania.
Harley says its Milwaukee headquarters will remain “integral” to the company’s US footprint, and Mr Zeitz did not specify how he plans to remake the space.
Mr Zeitz’s philosophy is in stark contrast to that of Tesla chief executive Elon Musk, who told employees recently they had to spend 40 hours a week in the office, and failure to show up would be considered a resignation.
Other companies that have tried to take that approach, or even a hybrid option, have faced blowback.
GM sent a letter to employees in late September requiring them to return to the office at least three days a week. The pushback was so strong, it walked back the mandate a few days later.
The Detroit car maker will gradually bring people back starting early in 2023 and allow managers to craft plans for individual employees, said a letter signed by chief executive Mary Barra and other members of the executive team. Plus, any employee hired remotely will not be forced to relocate close to GM facilities.
Even though Mr Zeitz is embracing remote work, he still thinks face-to-face meetings are valuable — as long as there is a clear purpose.
“I don’t want to see the exact same agenda we would have if we were on a screen,” he said.
Earlier this year, the company opened up the product development centre in Milwaukee and brought in 2,000 employees and their families.
That is the kind of gathering Mr Zeitz envisions in a world of remote work. He says he measures employees by their “engagement” — what they deliver — not by counting how many hours they sit in front of a screen.
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The%20specs
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last-16. first leg
Atletico Madrid v Juventus, midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
THE BIO
Favourite holiday destination: Whenever I have any free time I always go back to see my family in Caltra, Galway, it’s the only place I can properly relax.
Favourite film: The Way, starring Martin Sheen. It’s about the Camino de Santiago walk from France to Spain.
Personal motto: If something’s meant for you it won’t pass you by.
Match info:
Portugal 1
Ronaldo (4')
Morocco 0
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Favourite colour: Brown
Favourite Movie: Resident Evil
Hobbies: Painting, Cooking, Imitating Voices
Favourite food: Pizza
Trivia: Was the voice of three characters in the Emirati animation, Shaabiyat Al Cartoon
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – UAE won by 36 runs
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
Scoreline
Ireland 16 (Tries: Stockdale Cons: Sexton Pens: Sexton 3)
New Zealand 9 (Pens: Barrett 2 Drop Goal: Barrett)
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
McIlroy's recent struggles
Last six stroke-play events (First round score in brackets)
Arnold Palmer Invitational Tied for 4th (74)
The US Masters Tied for 7th (72)
The Players Championship Tied for 35th (73)
US Open Missed the cut (78)
Travellers Championship Tied for 17th (67)
Irish Open Missed the cut (72)
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPAD%20PRO%20(12.9%22%2C%202022)
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
