Hollywood provided another sign of California easing out of COVID lockdown mode as UTA disclosed Friday that the agency is set to reopen its Beverly Hills offices to vaccinated employees on a voluntary basis starting June 15.
Employees who decide to return to work at UTA’s offices in Beverly Hills, Nashville, London and New York will have to be fully vaccinated. UTA is the first of the major talent agencies — and one of the first Hollywood heavyweights overall — to announce a timetable for employees returning to office buildings that have been mostly empty for more than a year.
The Nashville office is set to reopen on June 1. The reopening of London is still a few months out at Aug. 31. New York will follow on Sept. 7.
In a memo to employees, CEO Jeremy Zimmer said the agency would remain flexible on work from home options.
“We will maintain our policy of providing personal choice to all colleagues during this initial phase of our reopening. Any colleague not yet prepared to return to the office for any reason — even those vaccinated — will have full choice not to do so,” Zimmer wrote. “If you’re not comfortable coming into the office, we understand that. If you have children at home until the start of the school year, we get it. If you have vacation plans in place, please take them. People will be working from home, the office and probably some combination of the two for the foreseeable future.”
Zimmer’s memo noted that agency leaders have worked with health experts to prepare for the return to indoor offices and that the now-familiar social distancing mandates will remain in place. He also noted that the pandemic conditions are “unpredictable” and they may need to adjust plans along the way.
“As the situation in the areas where we operate evolves further, we will evaluate what we believe is in the best interest of our colleagues and our company, and the long term policies that make the most sense,” Zimmer wrote. “No matter what, we are committed to ensuring a positive work experience whether you work from home or work from the office.”
