Deere, Accenture Tell Workers to Stay Home During Conventions
(Bloomberg) -- Deere & Co. and Accenture Plc are among the companies bracing for disruption in Chicago and Milwaukee as the Republican and Democratic conventions snarl traffic, attract protesters and raise the specter of violence.
Most Read from Bloomberg
Canada’s Immigration Minister Has a Message for Foreign Students: You Can’t All Stay
US Floats Tougher Trade Rules to Rein In China Chip Industry
High-Flying Chipmakers See Worst Plunge Since 2020: Markets Wrap
Brookfield Lines Up a 36-Year-Old Rising Star as Next Billionaire CEO
Biden Faces Intensified Calls to Step Aside While Ill With Covid
Deere, the world’s top farm-machinery manufacturer, has advised about 200 employees in its Chicago office to work from home during the Democratic National Convention next month. Accenture is closing its offices both in the Windy City and in Milwaukee, where the Republican National Convention is currently taking place.
The events are expected to lure some 50,000 people each, drawing traffic and protesters to downtown corridors. Heavy policing was already expected, but heightened security is likely to slow down movement in the cities after Donald Trump was shot at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.
Oil-Dri Corp., a miner of clay used in everything from cat litter to the production of cooking oils, announced weeks ago that it was closing its Chicago headquarters and advising employees to work remotely during the DNC due to possible demonstrations downtown. The past weekend’s events validated that decision, said Chief Executive Officer Dan Jaffee.
Deere’s Chicago office is in the trendy Fulton Market District that’s just northeast of the United Center, where most of the prime-time televised speeches by top Democrats will take place from Aug. 19-22. Accenture, which made the decision last month, has an office just blocks from the convention hub in Milwaukee and another about a 10-minute drive from the United Center.
“Your safety and well-being are a priority,” Accenture’s North America chief Manish Sharma said in an email to employees titled “Shooting at Trump Rally,” reminding employees of the closures.
Fiserv, a financial services firm headquartered in Milwaukee, told employees and contractors a month ago to work remotely during the convention to avoid commuting challenges, according to a person familiar with the plans. The company holds the naming rights to Fiserv Forum, home to the Milwaukee Bucks and host of the main convention events this week.
At a press conference on Monday, Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said he is in regular contact with his Milwaukee counterpart Jeffrey Norman to share intelligence and best practices. Both the Chicago Police Department and the Secret Service have plans in place to monitor rooftops near the main DNC venues.
Many companies have yet to decide how they will conduct operations during the DNC as the Secret Service will only release information on the restricted perimeter zones next week.
Drugmaker AbbVie Inc. advised local employees and visitors to both Milwaukee and Chicago to “maintain situational awareness and to avoid large demonstrations - especially if they become unruly.”
“If you live in/near the security perimeters, familiarize yourself with road closures and access restrictions as they are announced by the Secret Service and contact your manager to discuss flexible work arrangements if you will be impacted,” the company said in a July 1 note to employees.
Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek
©2024 Bloomberg L.P.
