Belk's remote staff feel pressured by office mandate

Charlotte retailer's return-to-office policy sparks fears of workforce cuts among out-of-state employees

The following article appeared in the February 19, 2025, edition of The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with smart and original local news for Charlotte. We offer free and paid subscription plans. More info here.

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Ordered to the office after years of remote work, some out-of-state Belk employees suspect they’re being pushed out

(Photo by Mike Kalasnik via Wikimedia Commons)

Some workers in Belk’s corporate headquarters say that the retailer’s plans to require workers to go to the office is actually a sneaky way to cut employees.

The Charlotte-based retailer had said in 2021 that its corporate office would remain fully remote, and workers told The Ledger that the company then hired employees who lived out of state. Earlier this month, though, executives told employees they would be required to work at the office on West Tyvola Road at least three days a week — even those who live nowhere close to Charlotte.