LPL Financial

Setting the Stage: Piloting the Future of Work

For years, LPL Financial’s offices had had all of the typical traits of a traditional call center, such as individually allotted desks, stratified spaces, and an expectation that all employees would come into the office. But when the pandemic demanded the adoption of remote work, LPL had the foresight to embrace an opportunity: all desks were cleared and most were transferred to a reservation system, and in two separate campuses, LPL closed down a total of 10 out of 22 floors. To systematize the best practices that the pandemic had inspired and cultivate a post-Covid workplace that could be more productive and supportive, LPL needed to assess its options and tailor a complementary array of technological, spatial, and policy strategies.

PLASTARC was contracted in early 2021 to support LPL through this transition. After conducting a series of workshops and interviews to determine employees’ needs, PLASTARC’s recommendations helped shape two separate pilot programs – in Fort Mill and San Diego, respectively – that both gave way to faster communication, a greater sense of well-being, and higher productivity. PLASTARC proved highly adaptable, meeting the demands of each moment as it helped with anything from change management to the granular development of new workplace strategies for two culturally distinct offices.