PORTLAND — Most of Intel’s Oregon sites reopened Wednesday for the first time in nearly two years, but workers won’t go back right away. And “restricted access” remains in place for the company’s Ronler Acres manufacturing campus in Hillsboro.
Sam Johnson, an Intel vice president and technology development manager, notified employees Tuesday that the company’s Jones Farm, Hawthorn Farm and Aloha campuses are reopening. He noted “the continued downward trend of the (coronavirus) for the last several weeks.”
Intel no longer requires that employees wear masks on site, workers may now travel for business and there are no restrictions on events and meetings.
However, Johnson said employees should continue working remotely unless their managers instruct them to return to the office. And Intel is continuing with plans it announced in November to make the company “hybrid-first,” meaning that most workers will continue splitting time between home and the office after the pandemic ends.
Oregon has eliminated most COVID-19 restrictions and removed the state’s mask mandate last month, with infection rates falling to near the lowest levels of the pandemic. Just 97 people in Oregon hospitals tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, according to state data, the lowest figure since September 2020.
There has been some uptick in Oregon infection rates over the past week, though, as restrictions and a new, more contagious subvariant spreads through the state.
Intel is Oregon’s largest corporate employer, with 22,000 people working at its Washington County campuses. It has added hundreds of employees during the pandemic as it prepares to reopen a $3 billion expansion of its D1X research factory at Ronler Acres.
Production at Ronler Acres has continued throughout the pandemic, albeit with additional safety precautions in place. It’s not clear why activity there remains restricted, and Intel declined comment. The company may be taking additional precautions against a COVID-19 outbreak at its most critical manufacturing site.
Oregon employers are taking varied approaches to their return to the office as COVID-19 wanes.
Google is reopening its downtown Portland office this month and Nike plans to recall workers to its Oregon headquarters next month. Both companies are operating on a hybrid basis, at least initially.
Intel notified employees last fall that it plans to allow office workers additional flexibility on when they come in, a position it reiterated in a statement to The Oregonian/OregonLive this week. While factory workers must continue reporting for their shifts on site, most other workers will split time between their homes and the office from now own.
“Our approach is grounded in our belief that our people are our most important asset. The data shows that many workers are looking for increased flexibility and that is why we’re leading with a hybrid-first approach,” the company said.
“As employees are invited back to the office, including in Oregon, we will provide them with both flexibility and ample time to plan their transition back.”
