For over fifty years, Patagonia has earned a reputation as one of the most respected brands on the planet. Aside from producing fleece jackets that are widespread in business offices and mountain lodges, the outdoor clothing company is known for being vocal about climate change and donating a portion of its sales to environmental groups.
What’s more, Patagonia’s conscious approach to work has long extended to its employees. From the beginning, Yvon Chouinard, the enigmatic climber-turned-entrepreneur who founded the company, instituted flexible work hours that gave employees the freedom to chase waves when the waves were right, or pick up their children from school—all part of an alternative approach to conquering the waves. The work Chouinard outlines in his autobiography, Let my people go surfing.
So it was no surprise that the move made headlines when Patagonia announced earlier this week that it was asking a third of its customer service employees to move to one of seven U.S. cities or part ways with the company.
“We are thrilled to be working with Patagonia to bring this new generation of technology to the world,” said Corley Kenna, Patagonia’s chief communications officer. luck Its customer service team, which has been working entirely remotely since the pandemic, was experiencing a 200 to 300% headcount increase during much of last year.
“Oftentimes, employees only work about two hours a day,” Kenna said. “That’s not good for your career. That’s not good for business.”
Kenna said the company began testing the “hub” model last year. luck, This is largely due to the negative feedback she received about being completely remote.
“a lot [employees] You missed a lot of the important cultural aspects that come with Patagonia that come from being around people. They were also concerned about career success and career growth and feeling a little isolated in that way.
Under the new model, 90 of its 255 employees would be required to move within 60 miles of a new “hub” city — Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Reno, Dallas, Austin, Chicago or Pittsburgh. The workers were asked to make a decision by Friday, and if they choose to move, they must be moved by Sept. 30. The company said it would help pay for the transportation cost.
Some employees say the timeline they were given to make the decision was rushed and unreasonable.
“It’s a big decision to make if you’re going to uproot your life and move to another city, and you’re supposed to decide that in two or three days?” one employee said. Ventura County Star, Which first informed the decision.
Kenna said she understands why some employees were upset, but the shift to a hub model was something Patagonia was transparent about with its employees, and given the company’s overstaffing problem, it could have happened sooner.
“We wanted to be really intentional, and we wanted to make sure this was the right model,” she said. luck. “We knew that was going to impact a lot of people, so we took it very seriously to think about all the different ways we could take care of our employees. So I think that’s a fair call, but I think that’s our real answer.”
Kenna also said there is some flexibility regarding the Friday deadline.
In 2023, Patagonia was named the world’s most recognized brand, rising from third place the previous year, according to the annual Harris Poll on corporate reputation. It fell to eighth place in 2024.
In 2022, Chouinard and his family divested their $3 billion company dividend and split the company’s shares into two new funds designed to address climate change. Since the restructuring took effect, more than $70 million has been transferred from the company to environmental groups and other nonprofits, according to The New York Times.
“Instead of exploiting natural resources to generate shareholder returns, we are turning shareholder capitalism on its head by making the earth our sole shareholder,” Chairman Charles Cohn wrote in an article. luck opinion.
But in the wake of the company’s decision this week, some affected employees say the company’s attitude toward employees has changed.
“I think the company has changed a lot since it was sold to Mother Earth,” said one employee. Interested in trade“Since Yvonne left, it’s been a slow transition away from caring about employees.”
Under the restructuring process, the Chouinard family still has strong control over the company.
“It is factually inaccurate to say that Yvonne has stepped down,” Kenna said. luck. “He’ll tell you he’s working harder now than ever before.”
“Over the past three years, we’ve really worked to enhance how we communicate and care for our people,” she said. “And I’m sad to hear that people think we’re doing less because we’re working hard to do more.”
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