​​​COLUMBUS, Ohio — Companies are gradually bringing workers back to the office as virus cases decline and mask requirements end, but unvaccinated employees may face more stringent rules.

What You Need To Know

• Columbus employers are transitioning to in-person work


• Some companies are dropping mask requirements


• President Biden says it's time "to fill our great downtowns again" 

Local employers Battelle, Abercrombie and Huntington National Bank are among those transitioning more employees to in-person work, company officials told Spectrum News. 

For many workplaces, returning to the office will occur in phases over the coming weeks and will involve hybrid schedules for some employees. 

But in downtown Columbus, you can already tell that there’s more foot traffic as people get into their office routines, said Alexus Underwood, 33, who works at an architecture firm. 

Underwood said her office stopped requiring masks on Wednesday in response to the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

“You almost forget what someone's face looks like. Today, it was very, very cool to walk in the door and see everyone smiling, laughing,” she said.

Because her office is 100% vaccinated, she said she feels comfortable not wearing a mask on the days when she works in person. While most of her coworkers weren’t wearing a mask Wednesday, she said that some still were. 

Underwood said it’s important for there not to be a stigma for those making a personal decision to wear a mask. With the politics that surround masking, she worries that society will become less understanding of it over time as most stop wearing them.

“We should respect each other's decisions. You need to do what you feel is necessary to feel safe as an individual right now,” she said. “I don't know how long though outside of our company, just in the world in general, how long before people start pushing back a little bit on those that are still wearing masks.”

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden discussed the return to work that’s happening nationally as cases reach lower levels after the latest virus wave. 

“It’s time for America to get back to work and fill our great downtowns again with people. People working from home can feel safe and begin to return to their offices,” he said during his State of the Union address. 

In Columbus, the citywide mask mandate for indoor public spaces could end as soon as next week. The city’s move, along with the new CDC guidance, gives momentum to the workplace transitions toward pre-pandemic protocols.

Emily Smith, a spokesperson for Huntington National Bank, said the Columbus-based company is in the process of a phased return for employees, with a mix of fully in-person roles, hybrid roles and fully remote roles. 

Battelle said many of its researchers have been working in person throughout the pandemic because they have needed to be in labs, but the company is seeing a “steady increase” in the number of people back at its main Columbus campus. 

“We have a flexible approach where employees work with their managers to determine how much time they will spend in the office versus working from home,” Smith said. “We have been, and will continue to, follow guidelines set by the CDC and local public health officials.”

Nationwide Insurance dropped its mask mandate on Monday, but only for vaccinated employees, Spectrum News partner Columbus Business First reported. Half of the company’s workforce will work from home permanently.

Abercrombie, which is headquartered in New Albany, said in a statement that it is adjusting its policies as it follows the changing local and federal guidance.

“Over the last several months, we have been gradually and safely welcoming associates back to our global home office. We are looking forward to having the balance of our associates on campus for a hybrid schedule by early May. This combines the benefits of workplace flexibility and in-person collaboration, which have been well-received by our associates over the past two years,” a company spokesperson said.

Update: Nationwide said in a statement Thursday that its remote and hybrid models have worked well for the company, and officials are encouraged by the recent virus trends, which have allowed for a new policy change relaxing COVID-19 measures for its offices.​​

"As we all learn to move forward with COVID-19, we will continue to follow the data with the safety and well-being of our employees as our top priority. All employees, regardless of vaccination status, are not required to wear a mask in areas where the community level of severity is medium or low per the CDC’s current recommendations," the statement said.