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Hasbro’s Boston move puts 580 Rhode Island jobs and longer commutes in focus
Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks says a larger talent pool, easier access for business partners and more nearby amenities drove the company’s move from Pawtucket to Boston. The company has notified Rhode Island that 580 jobs are leaving the state, but has not said how many employees will relocate.
Hasbro plans to move its longtime headquarters from Pawtucket to Boston’s Seaport District by the end of the year, a shift that puts 580 Rhode Island jobs in transition and leaves employees weighing longer commutes or relocation.
CEO Chris Cocks said the move is intended to give the toy and game company better access to creative workers and business partners. He also pointed to Boston’s restaurants and after-work options, saying employees in Pawtucket have fewer places to go nearby and that delivery meals can take about 40 minutes to arrive.
Hasbro will occupy seven floors of an office tower in the Seaport. Cocks said the company chose Boston in part because of its larger pool of college-educated creative workers and its connections to rail and air travel. He estimated that the relevant talent pool in Boston is about eight times the size of Rhode Island’s.
The company recently notified the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training that it is moving 580 jobs out of the state. Employees who do not make the move are expected to lose their jobs by Dec. 24, according to the notice. Cocks disputed characterizing the notice as a layoff, saying Hasbro is offering commuter benefits, pay differentials and time to make the transition. Employees living more than 40 miles from the Boston office can also receive relocation assistance, he said. The company expects staff to work in person three days a week.
Cocks did not say how many employees plan to relocate. He said retention has been better this year than in recent years, but that employees are still deciding. Hasbro plans to work with them over the next six to 12 months, he said.
For workers commuting from Rhode Island, Cocks said the trip could shift from a 30- to 35-minute drive to a 45-minute-to-one-hour train ride. Hasbro is supplementing rail passes, he said, and the company expects employees to be able to work or take calls during the trip.
Rhode Island’s governor and Pawtucket’s mayor have said they were not told by Hasbro or Cocks about the relocation decision. Cocks acknowledged that Massachusetts provided “modest” tax incentives, but said they were not the main reason for the move. He also argued that Boston’s location would make it easier for company representatives and retail partners to meet with Hasbro.