Unum shifts most of its staff to at-home work in response to coronavirus concerns

Unum Group, which is headquartered in downtown Chattanooga, is boosting its minimum pay to $15 an hour, extending parental leave benefits and adding to its charitable contributions after reporting record profits in 2017. Unum Group, which is headquartered in downtown Chattanooga, is boosting its minimum pay to $15 an hour, extending parental leave benefits and adding to its charitable contributions after reporting record profits in 2017.

By Dave Flessner March 16, 2020 3 min read

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One of Chattanooga’s biggest employers is shifting most of its staff to at-home work this week and giving workers extra pay or benefits to help in the transition.

Unum Group, the world’s biggest disability insurer, announced Monday it is encouraging most of its 2,800 employees who normally work at Unum’s headquarters to do their work remotely at home instead. To aid in the transition, Unum is giving most of its hourly employees $250 to help with the transition to work from home and is providing more flexible work hours and emergency pay in some circumstances.

“Unum’s purpose of helping the working world thrive throughout life’s moments doesn’t stop during a pandemic,” Unum CEO Rick McKenney said in a memo to the company’s 9,500 U.S. workers Monday. “It becomes even more critical.”