While many in publishing successfully work from home, someone has to get the books out the door, so warehouse workers don’t really get that option. Yet because so many workers can work from home, this does allow publishers to focus on safety efforts for who do come to a physical location.
Catching up with PW's Andrew Albanese
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Penguin Random House U.S. has confirmed that staff will not return to its offices “until sometime next year,” reports Andrew Albanese, Publishers Weekly senior writer.
“In a letter to staff, U.S. CEO Madeline McIntosh put it this way – Penguin Random House will not go back until it is “safe and when it’s practical,” whenever that may be,” Albanese says.
PRH’s decision means three of the Big Five New York trade publishing houses have decided to not bring back employees to their Manhattan offices in a meaningful way until 2021. Macmillan and Simon & Schuster also said their offices will not officially open until next year.
“This all comes after a PW survey of New York City publishers in early June, in which most anticipated that they would begin bringing their employees back to their offices shortly after Labor Day—but that is not the case now,” Albanese tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally.
“For all these publishers, it should be pointed out that working from home isn’t for everyone—while many of us can do so successfully, someone has to get the books out the door, which means warehouse workers don’t really get that option.
“Yet because so many workers can work from home, this does allow publishers to focus on safety efforts for who do come to a physical location,” Albanese says.
Every Friday, CCC’s “Beyond the Book” speaks with the editors and reporters of “Publishers Weekly” for an early look at the news that publishers, editors, authors, agents and librarians will be talking about when they return to work on Monday.
