Wisconsin cooperative creates hybrid work model to meet needs of 1K employees 

More than 18,000 federal workers in Wisconsin face a mandate by President Donald Trump to return to in-office work or accept a buyout. 

A farmer-owned cooperative in the Driftless Area is taking a different approach to hybrid work and having positive results in employee retention.

Organic Valley, headquartered in La Farge, includes more than 1,600 family farm owner-operators nationwide. Along the banks of the Kickapoo River, the southwestern Wisconsin village has about 700 residents.

Organic Valley CEO Jeff Frank told “Wisconsin Today” that the company’s nearly 1,000 employees have the opportunity to work in the office part-time (low hybrid) or occasionally (high hybrid) or remote. 

He said the idea stemmed from other Vernon County organizations having return-to-work mandates after the heights of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We were kind of in an environment where each department within our organization had evolved into doing their own thing,” he said. “There was a lot of inconsistency.”

Last June, the company created a team to decide which employees qualify for each work plan designation. On an annual basis, they are then allowed to choose — or change — which plan works best for them.

“Part of being in a rural location is we love to hire locally,” Frank said. “It’s casting a much larger net, and we’re getting more qualified people to apply for roles.”

He said Organic Valley’s hybrid work model means clearly defining work plans and deadlines to ensure accountability. At the same time, it requires a balance of collaboration and flexibility for individual needs.

But above all, the model is built on trust.

“I trust your flexibility to manage your life,” he said. “At the same time, achieve goals based on the time and place that make sense for you.” 

Frank said Organic Valley’s hybrid approach includes fulfilling the needs of each employee, while valuing togetherness. 

“We’ve got a great lunchroom culture,” he said. “I see a lot of those sparks happening, different groups of people sitting together.”

While the company’s hybrid work isn’t one-size-fits-all for other organizations, Frank added that it can be an effective way for employees to achieve their objectives.