Could Receiving Packages at Work Be the Hot New Perk?

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Ever work from home so you wouldn’t miss a package? A global survey published by home security company Vivint found that 26% of employees opt to work from home when they’re expecting a package to be delivered.

And people are receiving a massive number of packages. Amazon (AMZN) says it has sent more than 5 billion orders to Prime members using same- or next-day shipping so far in 2024. That doesn’t include Amazon orders sent using other shipping options – or packages sent by Walmart (WMT), Target (TGT), and other retailers.

If even a tiny percentage of workers decide to stay home on package day, that could put a major dent in corporate return-to-office plans.

When Porch Pirates Strike

One reason people may be working remotely is out of fear of theft. In the United States, 34% of consumers said they’ve had a package stolen, according to the Vivint survey.

In fact, nearly 120 million packages were stolen in the U.S. in 2023 according to a Marketplace report, citing estimates from home security site SafeWise. That’s about $6 billion of stolen merchandise altogether. So, it’s no wonder employees are staying home when they expect something special to arrive in the mail.

New Perk for Hybrid Work

As hybrid policies require workers to come into the office more often, Brandon Bunker, Vivint’s vice president of product, told MarketWatch about his novel idea for enticing employees: Let them receive packages at work.

Many companies prohibit the policy, out of concern for overwhelming their mailroom staff or liability if a package goes missing. Bunker suggests that companies install delivery lockers or proactively waive their liability in the event that an employee opts to receive a personal package at work.

Companies continue to experiment with all kinds of gimmicks – including wine tastings and free concerts – to bring employees back to their desks. Perhaps simply offering a safe place to receive a package will do the trick.

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