Together is Priceless: Our Return to Office Approach

This message was shared with Mastercard employees on May 19, 2021

Human connection is such an important part of who we are and what we do. It was reinforced to me when I was at our O’Fallon campus not too long ago. You could see it at the All Hands. I was very happy to be with our colleagues, and to hear directly from them how energizing it was to reconnect after a long time.

With that in mind, I want to bring us back together. And it starts by returning to the office. We will do it in phases – to ensure your health and safety, and to adhere to local guidelines – and we will start by moving forward where conditions allow.

The expectation is to have you back in the office at least two days a week. This gives you flexibility and time to be with your team and clients and to manage the transition in your personal life. Circumstances, such as schooling and COVID-related health concerns, will of course be considered.

Some of our sites, such as Sydney and Dubai, are already at this stage. Other locations, such as New York City and Arlington, will soon follow. For most of the U.S., we hope to have you in by September. Remaining locations will follow when local conditions permit. As the situation improves, we will move to three or more days a week in the office, allowing for flexibility in work schedules.

Here's what you can expect in this initial phase:

• More flexibility to come to the office every week; there will no longer be Team A or B
• More in-person time to collaborate, ideate, have casual conversations and fewer video meetings
• A continued focus on safety and well-being and "reset" moments, such as meeting-free days
• Enhanced technology that enables us to connect better with each other in the office and at home
• We will continue to work with local governments to comply with all health and safety measures. We will also continue to encourage vaccination efforts. If you are in the U.S., you have the opportunity to voluntarily self-report your vaccination status through Workday.

We will share updates on our COVID Resource Guide. We know you’ll have questions, so be on the lookout for information sessions in the very near future. These will be scheduled across global time zones so you can participate live or view the replay at your convenience.

I look forward to seeing you over coffee chats and unexpected run-ins. Being together is part of who we are and how we work. Together is priceless.

Michael