Sun Life will relocate state office to downtown Hartford
HARTFORD — Insurance giant Sun Life Financial will relocate its Connecticut office to downtown Hartford from Windsor beginning late next summer, a boost for a downtown seeking to recover from a downturn touched off by the COVID19 pandemic.
The U.S. arm of Toronto-based life insurer said Tuesday it intends to create a new regional hub at One Financial Plaza, the “Gold Building,” that will be designed as a hybrid workplace for the 300 workers now in Windsor who will either work either full- or part-time in the office.
Jen Collier, a nurse and a senior vice president at Sun Life, said the pandemic and the move to working remotely showed different ways of working can be just as effective, if not more so. Work spaces are being redesigned to accommodate employees who might not necessarily be in the office five days a week.
“We have this great opportunity,” Collier said. “We have this new space. It’s going to allow us the flexibility to create collaborative spaces, to use technology that will enable us to keep the connected culture, whether someone is in the office or working remotely, whether in Connecticut or somewhere else around the globe.”
All 300 workers will have access to the office, Collier said. Under a hybrid model, the 47,000 square feet of office space in the Gold Building could accommodate up to 450 employees. Collier said Sun Life is planning for future workforce growth in Connecticut.
Major employers in and around Hartford, including insurers Travelers Cos. and The Hartford Financial Services Group, have already said they plan to offer their employees more options to regularly work outside the office. Jet engine maker Pratt & Whitney has said it will make remote work permanent for thousands of its salaried workers in East Hartford.
Collier said Sun Life knew it wanted to be in Hartford and looked at a variety of options.
“We knew we wanted to have the ‘Wow Factor’ for our employees, making sure we combined access, location, ability to design and safety,” Collier said. “All those things were important to us.”
In a release, Dan Fishbein, a physician and president of Sun Life’s U.S. operations, said Hartford also was attractive because it is a strong market for insurance and technology professionals crucial to the industry.
“Bringing our Connecticut team to Hartford is an important step in making us an even stronger home for top talent in the area,” Fishbein said. “We look forward to developing a strong presence in and relationship with the city of Hartford.”
Collier said Sun Life has supported a tradition of philanthropic giving since it established its office in Windsor in 2007. Sun Life has been involved with the YMCA of Greater Hartford and its employees participate in charitable giving with a company match program.
Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin hailed the move, which he said will strengthen the city’s aspirations to once again regain a reputation for innovation well honed in its industrial past, but now for the 21st-century high-tech age.
“We are thrilled to welcome Sun Life to the heart of downtown Hartford, adding to the tremendous ecosystem of insurance companies and insurtech startups in the capital city,” Bronin said in a release. “As we recover from the pandemic, having Sun Life and other major employers in Hartford will send a powerful message as we work to grow our city.”
The Gold Building is owned by a partnership of Shelbourne Global Solutions of Brooklyn, N.Y., downtown Hartford’s largest commercial landlord, and LAZ Investments, a partner of Hartford-based parking giant LAZ Parking.
“The new lease demonstrates the confidence the business community has in the future of the city and its rebirth as a place where workers can live, work and play,” Michael Seidenfeld, chief operating officer at Shelbourne Global, said in a release.