News

Allstate selling headquarters as more employees telecommute

by Monique Beals 10/11/21 10:02 AM ET

Allstate announced it will sell its longtime headquarters near Chicago as 95 percent of its employees continue to work from home during the pandemic.

After 54 years in the Northbrook, Ill., building, the insurance company told its employees on Friday that it would sell the headquarters, according to The Chicago Tribune.

Allstate did not announce plans for a future headquarters.

“Allstate’s employees have more choice about where they work and many are choosing to work from home,” Allstate spokeswoman Mallory Vasquez said in an email, the Tribune reported. “As a result, we will sell our office in Northbrook but plan to maintain our significant presence in the Chicago area.”

The company also said that its existing office space in Chicago would be available to employees if needed.

“As we return to the office, we will determine if additional space is needed in the Northbrook area,” Vasquez also said, according the Tribune.

While the U.S. has seen a more than 11 percent decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases in the past seven days, the pandemic’s lasting impact has been felt by companies like Allstate that continue to have many employees working from home. As a result, some companies have considered opting for a hybrid workplace environment allowing employees to both work from home and come into the office.

Allstate said that though the overwhelming majority of its employees are working remotely, the company has maintained “internal controls and productivity” throughout the year, the Tribune reported.