By Star Tribune

Copyright startribune

In late 2024, Maplewood-based 3M told some employees to work from headquarters on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays after holding back from enforcing such a policy far longer than many other companies. Food company General Mills called many employees back to Golden Valley Headquarters three days per week in February.

— Victor Stefanescu

9:30 a.m. – Several Target employees en route to Tuesday’s general session at Target Center declined to comment on the record about the retailer’s push to bring staff back into the office. Many said they already live in the Minneapolis area and weren’t concerned about commuting downtown three days a week. But others expressed confusion about why some divisions, namely Target’s commercial unit, were asked to return to the office while others were not.

The Minneapolis-based retailer hasn’t changed its corporate policy. The company’s “flex for your day” approach allows leaders to set team work plans based on roles and preferences. But Target has started requiring employees with local contracts to return to the office. The retailer offers employees two types of contracts based on location. Those with a local contract are typically assigned to the company’s downtown Minneapolis headquarters. Until recently, some employees were granted permission by team leaders to work outside Minnesota even if they held local contracts. Teams are sometimes made up of employees with both remote and local contracts, meaning some will be required to return to the office while others attend meetings via Zoom.

— Carson Hartzog

9:15 a.m. – At Corner Coffee, directly across from Target’s downtown store, barista Michael Kanu wiped sweat from his forehead at 8:45 a.m. It was his first quiet moment after a steady swarm of Target employees had filed in for coffee since about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday. Customer traffic has nearly doubled since last week, Kanu said. “They are coming in droves.”