Other employers’ plans

Many large Lehigh Valley employers haven’t yet set a date to return to the office, but are encouraging employees to get vaccinated as they become eligible.

That includes Bethlehem-based B. Braun Medical Inc., which has about 2,000 employees in the Lehigh Valley. While many of those workers, including those who manufacture medical supplies at the company’s Hanover Township, Lehigh County, plant, can’t do their jobs remotely, spokesperson Allison Longenhagen said several hundred local B. Braun employees have been working from home during the pandemic.

“B. Braun employees who are currently able to work from home will continue to do so until later this year,” she said in a statement. “When we do welcome those employees back to the office, we will continue to follow state and federal COVID-19 guidelines, and will have a more flexible schedule that allows for a combination of remote and office-based work, as roles allow.”

Allentown utility holding company PPL Corp. also hasn’t yet set a date for employees who are working from home to return to the office. In the Lehigh Valley, PPL employs about 1,200 people, roughly 700 of whom typically work at the 23-story PPL Tower building at Ninth and Hamilton streets. In a recent interview with The Morning Call, PPL President and CEO Vincent Sorgi said the company remains “incredibly committed to the downtown Allentown area.”

PPL spokesperson Ryan Hill said the Fortune 500 company continues to weigh when it will begin to open its offices to those who have been working remotely.

“Those whose jobs enable them to work from home continue to do so for now,” he said. “We continue to encourage employees to get vaccinated when they are eligible.”

The Lehigh Valley’s other Fortune 500 firm, Air Products, also is encouraging employees to get vaccinated when it is their turn, spokesperson Art George said. The company employs about 2,000 people in the Lehigh Valley.

George said most of the company’s “headquarters-based employees” continue to work from home, while those who cannot do their jobs remotely are working in the Trexlertown office. Those in Air Products’ offices or manufacturing locations are following all guidelines and protocols, he added.

At this point, George said Air Products has no set timeline in place for a full return to the office. Construction continues on the company’s $400 million headquarters in Upper and Lower Macungie townships, a massive project expected to be completed this summer. George said Air Products’ return-to-theoffice plans are not dependent on when the new headquarters is completed.

Massive payroll processor ADP has 98% of its employees working remotely, including those who typically work at the company’s inside sales center in downtown Allentown, spokesperson Joanna DiNizio said in a statement. ADP is the anchor tenant of Five City Center, where more than 1,000 of its employees work under normal circumstances.

DiNizio said ADP is encouraging its employees to receive the vaccine as soon as they are eligible, and the company is “making every effort to help our associates secure easy access to the vaccine in their communities and through private points of distribution.”

“We do not intend to bring additional associates back to the office until we have determined it is safe to do so, and we are actively monitoring the situation,” she said.

Many are in the same boat.

Morning Call reporter Jon Harris can be reached at 484280-2866 or at jon.harris@ mcall.com.