Lyft’s CEO is demanding an office return. But he doesn’t care what time employees arrive or how long they stay: ‘We don’t really care about any of that stuff’

For most, “homecoming” conjures an image of the American high school football tradition, culminating in a dance formal. (Or Beyoncé’s 2018 Coachella performance.) 

But at Lyft, it’s the rideshare company’s rebrand of its return-to-office directive after promising it would become a “fully flexible” workplace in 2022. CEO David Risher—who joined the company in April and subsequently laid off 1,100 employees and announced a return-to-office plan in his first two days—is trying to trademark the company’s September return as a school-like event. 

“We’re literally calling it homecoming,” Risher said in a recent interview with Fortune. “Think about sort of that feeling of [the] first day at school. We’re going to give tours…have some community groups where people can get together and talk about things that have nothing to do with work. We’re getting book clubs set up. All the things you try to do to give a sense of community to work beyond just the basics of a keyboard and a mouse and a monitor.”

Risher says his return-to-office push is necessary for collaboration and building relationships. “It’s really important to see people face-to-face just to build a relationship but also bump into people that I wouldn’t bump into on Google Meets or Zoom,” he says.

For many, this will likely be their first job in person, Risher points out, and the company has designed its offices with that inexperience in mind. “You have to start with the basics,” he says. Such basics include well-lit ergonomic spaces and coordinating where teams are stationed in the office. “Quality of life stuff” is also important, he says, and the company will offer meal services and commuter benefits.

Employers and schools don’t differ much in some ways, as both seem to have a penchant for attendance taking. And at Lyft, workers will be expected to show up at least three days per week. But Risher says the company won’t be too fussy about how employees spend their time in the office.

“We’re not trying to recreate 2019. It’s not five days a week,” he says, noting that Lyft has a four-week “work from anywhere” policy. And when employees come into the office, Lyft won’t be prescriptive about when they show up. “Nine o’clock, 10 o’clock, 11 o’clock in the morning, that’s fine. We don’t really care about any of that stuff. We’re just much more excited about the idea of periodically and regularly bringing people together.”

Paige McGlauflin
paige.mcglauflin@fortune.com
@paidion

Reporter's Notebook

The most compelling data, quotes, and insights from the field.

Prepare to see some empty desks and “face with thermometer” emoji Slack statuses today. Aug. 24 sees the highest number of work call outs due to illness in the U.S., according to a study from employee leave management platform Flamingo.

The study, which tracked five years’ worth of sick leave data, found that stomach bugs were the most common excuse for calling out sick, followed by COVID-19 and stress or anxiety.

Around the Table

A round-up of the most important HR headlines.

- A tight post-COVID labor market forced companies to raise pay, making the minimum wage somewhat irrelevant. But when the market cools, employees could lose their competitive pay. New York Times

- The appearance of diversity initiative keywords, like “equity” and “inclusion,” in job posts has increased this year. Bloomberg

- Over the last year, viewership surged for a LinkedIn course on business etiquette basics as Gen Z workers learn to operate in professional spaces. WorkLife

- The American Alliance for Equal Rights, the conservative organization responsible for the lawsuit that overturned affirmative action, is suing two law firms over fellowships only open to candidates of diverse backgrounds. Wall Street Journal

Watercooler

Everything you need to know from Fortune.

Empty desk syndrome. Desks and cubicles occupy 80% of office floor space globally, but a new report finds that more than one-third of those desks are empty all week. Some believe it’s time to reorganize offices for hybrid and remote staff. —Matthew Boyle, Bloomberg

Waged rides canceled. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey vetoed an ordinance that would have provided a minimum wage to rideshare drivers in the city. Instead, Frey negotiated a minimum wage with Uber that only applies to its drivers. —Summer Ballentine, AP

Job-hop history. Job-hopping isn’t a new trend—Young boomers moved around quite a bit for better pay, according to a new report. Respondents born between 1957 and 1964 had an average of 12.7 jobs in their lifetimes but moved on from almost half of them by the time they were 25. —Eleanor Pringle