USAA will be taking a “cautious approach” to bringing employees back into offices following Gov. Greg Abbott’s orders Monday permitting almost all Texas businesses to reopen in June, company officials said.
The financial institution announced a phased plan Monday to reintroduce employees who feel comfortable returning to its offices to do so in mid-June. Most of the company’s employees have been working from home since March in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
USAA workers will be able to come back to campuses in San Antonio, Phoenix, Tampa, and Colorado Springs starting June 15 on a volunteer basis as part of a pilot program.
“The pilot will consist of a total of approximately 1,000 employees across the four campuses, and participation will be on a 100 [percent] volunteer basis,” said Christian Bove, a USAA spokesman. “In developing our return-to-office strategy, we’re relying on medical guidance.”
Officials at the insurance and financial services giant considered factors such as community readiness; federal, state, and local government orders; and employee feedback, Bove said.
The company is extending its current work-from-home guidelines to Sept. 1, with most of its workforce planning to remain working from home until then. USAA employs more than 19,000 in San Antonio and more than 35,000 people total.
Last month USAA Communications Director Matt Hartwig told the Rivard Report “employee safety has always been a top priority.”
Meanwhile, USAA and its charitable arm, The USAA Foundation, said Tuesday the company will donate $4.7 million to local nonprofits in response to the pandemic.
In total, the company plans to donate $6.3 million to national and local relief efforts, and has committed more than $10.7 million to nonprofits since March.
As a part of the $4.7 million, the institution has committed $1 million to the San Antonio Food Bank; $850,000 to the Alamo Colleges, San Antonio Independent School District, and BiblioTech to expand internet access across the city; $700,000 to microlender LiftFund to help veteran entrepreneurs; $500,000 to UT Health for testing; $300,000 to a United Wayinitiative to aid hourly workers in the hospitality industry; and $250,000 to the South Alamo Regional Alliance for the Homeless.
“USAA’s mission calls us to help military families achieve financial security, and we believe that supporting military-focused organizations and the communities where we work and live is part of that mission,” USAA President and CEO Wayne Peacock said in a prepared statement.
