As companies across the globe grapple with return-to-office challenges in a post-pandemic world, J. M. Smucker Co., the Ohio-based maker of jelly and peanut butter, has adopted a refreshingly distinctive approach. Unlike organizations that mandate a set number of in-office days per week, Smucker’s implemented a plan focused on 22 “core weeks” per year for its approximately 1,300 corporate employees.
These designated core weeks—typically two per month, except for July and December—are determined a year in advance. The idea is not to track weekly attendance, but to create intentional, concentrated periods for collaboration. With this schedule, employees only need to be in the Orrville, Ohio office for as few as six days per month, aligning with the company’s annual in-office expectation of 25% to 50%.
Leadership with Purpose and Flexibility
This model was spearheaded by Jill Penrose, Chief People and Administrative Officer, who emphasized a people-first philosophy. “We didn’t start with how many days [are required in-person], or with rules and requirements,” she said in an interview with Fortune. Instead, the focus was on building a strong culture and developing people and capabilities.
Penrose and her team conducted employee interviews to understand their evolving priorities. Flexibility emerged as a top need, with employees valuing time for family responsibilities, health, and personal interests. Rather than micromanaging in-person presence, Smucker’s chose to trust employees to align presence with purpose.
The plan integrates leadership training that supports “the whole person,” encouraging managers to help employees balance their professional and personal priorities. According to Penrose, trust and respect—not compliance—are the foundation of Smucker’s return-to-office philosophy.
Implementing the Core Weeks Model
To support the transition, Smucker’s provided significant advance notice and encouraged teams to build new habits around core weeks. This flexibility is not only operational but also deeply cultural, giving teams autonomy to decide how and when in-person collaboration is most needed.
The model also considers early-career employees and new hires without creating rigid distinctions. For example, teams may voluntarily gather more frequently to onboard a new colleague or during critical periods like quarter-end reporting. These are treated as purposeful exceptions, not mandates.
Penrose highlighted that although people often gravitate toward rule-following, Smucker’s opted for a flexible framework, allowing managers and employees to adapt in ways that suit their workflows.
A Trust-Based Relationship That Works
By avoiding micromanagement and focusing on mutual respect, the company has seen positive results. Penrose credits the success to trust in employees, who she said “rose to the occasion.” The company also respected the reality that employees might need additional flexibility at certain times of the year.
CEO Mark Smucker, a fifth-generation family member who personally commutes about 40 minutes to Orrville most days, echoed these views. “The relationships get built in between meetings, not during meetings,” he said. Core weeks are structured to foster these valuable informal interactions.
Welcoming Super-Commuters and National Talent
The core weeks model has also enabled the rise of so-called “super-commuters”—employees who live far from Orrville but travel in during these concentrated periods. One such example is Nicole Massey, Vice President of Marketing, who flies in from San Francisco twice a month. “We kind of take advantage of the time when we know we’re going to be here,” she explained.
While employees absorb their own travel costs, they benefit from maintaining their preferred home base without sacrificing career growth. Smucker’s made a deliberate choice not to require relocation, unlike companies such as Chevron or Amazon that offer relocation packages to incentivize return-to-office compliance.
During core weeks, office occupancy reaches 70% to 80%, with employees engaging in team lunches, strategy meetings, and informal hallway conversations. Managers often keep schedules open to allow spontaneous connections, a vital part of the model’s success.
Recruiting, Retention, and Results
Executives report that the policy has enhanced recruiting by appealing to professionals hesitant about relocating to Ohio but open to periodic travel. Core weeks create a vibrant, high-impact environment that’s appealing to new hires.
Penrose and other leaders describe these weeks as “intense but energizing.” The intentionality helps maximize learning, mentorship, and collaboration. Massey shared that she feels more connected during these focused in-person periods than she did commuting three days a week at a prior company.
Importantly, the model targets only Smucker’s 1,300 corporate employees, not its entire 6,000-person workforce. Roles that require physical presence, such as food scientists or manufacturing staff, remain on-site full-time.
Business metrics support the model’s success. CEO Mark Smucker reported lower attrition rates and higher productivity, noting that employees “really seem to like it.” The company has also expanded its talent pool across geographies.
A Stark Contrast to National Trends
Smucker’s flexible model stands out against a backdrop of increasing rigidity at other firms. Companies like Meta, Google, Amazon, and even Zoom have enforced stricter return-to-office policies, often requiring multiple in-person days per week. Some mandates have met with employee protests and backlash.
Experts such as Steven Davis from Stanford’s Hoover Institution highlight hybrid work as a “sweet spot” for many Americans. His research shows that employees favor two or three remote days per week due to benefits like reduced commuting, greater autonomy, and improved well-being. Davis believes the five-day in-office norm is a relic of the past, and hybrid work is the emerging new normal.
Even Zoom now requires employees to be in the office twice a week. Its CFO, Kelly Steckelberg, acknowledged that while it took adjustment, employees came to appreciate the face-to-face time. She also emphasized the need for deliberate mentorship and onboarding in a hybrid setup.
Building a Model for the Future
Smucker’s strategy illustrates how companies can balance business goals with employee needs, building a structure that emphasizes presence with purpose over rigid rules. With careful planning, intentional in-person moments, and deep trust in their workforce, the company has created a flexible system that supports both productivity and well-being.
It also reflects a broader shift enabled by modern technologies like video conferencing and collaborative tools. These innovations have made remote and hybrid models not only feasible but effective.
While urban downtowns may see declines in foot traffic, tax revenue, and real estate values, the benefits of hybrid work—for families, businesses, and even the environment—are becoming harder to ignore.
In a time when many organizations struggle to get employees back in the building, Smucker’s has found its sweet spot: structured flexibility, rooted in trust and driven by purpose.
