Some corporates are planning to apply a hybrid working model while some are focussing on flexible working hours, to some giving long mental health breaks.
Before the novel coronavirus hit the world and the pandemic became the new normal, people in the workforce would rush their way through traffic to make it in time to their offices and begin their day. But a major change has emerged in the corporate sector with employees now working from home. With a series of COVID-19 waves and variants emerging, the chances of getting back to normal have been delayed. Corporates are now coming with different styles of working taking into account employee welfare. Some are planning to apply a hybrid working model while some are focussing on flexible work hours, to some giving long mental health breaks.
US-based apparel giant Nike has decided to keep corporate offices closed for the entire week beginning from August 30 to allow its employees to “prioritise mental health”. The move comes a week ahead of the employee’s return to the office. Matt Marrazzo, a senior manager of the Oregan-headquartered company said, “Our senior leaders are all sending a clear message: Take the time to unwind, destress and spend time with your loved ones. Do not work.” “It’s not just a ‘week off’ for the team… it’s an acknowledgment that we can prioritise mental health and still get work done,” he added. The week-long holiday, however, would be granted only to the employees of Nike’s corporate offices. Workers at the retail outlets would continue to report to work. (Image: Reuters)
Social commerce startup Meesho announced a companywide break from November 4 to 14 for all its employees implementing its ‘Reset and Recharge’ policy. The work break will be after the festive season sale offered by the platform. “Meesho is going on a company-wide break from November 4-14th. Yes, you read that right. We are going to completely unplug from work — right after our busy and frenetic festive sale season, so that we are back to doing what we love — relaxed and rejuvenated,” the company said in a Twitter post. (Image: Shutterstock)
A Jaipur-based firm called Verve Logic has announced a ‘Netflix and Chill’ holiday for all its employees on September 3 to watch the fifth season of Money Heist that will release on Netflix on the same day. “We have taken this initiative not just to save an attack on our emails with false leaves, see mass bunks and numbers being switched off but because we know sometimes ‘Moments of Chill be the Best Pills for Energy at Work’,” Abhishek Jain, CEO of Verve Logic said in a message to his employees (Image: Twitter/@NetflixIndia)
Canva unveiled a new flexible work model that will allow teams to determine how often employees will need to work from the office. In an announcement published on Tuesday, the company said it won’t have strict requirements for the number of days spent in an office, but will instead empower teams to decide on the number of days employees are expected to attend work in person,
Keeping the health of its employees in mind at a time when the country is witnessing a rapid spike in COVID-19 cases, online food delivery firm Swiggy has announced a four-day workweek during May in an unprecedented move. “Please decide the four days that each of you would work and utilise the extra day to take rest, take care of yourself, take care of your family and friends,” Girish Menon, head of HR at Swiggy, wrote in an internal mail to the employees on May 1. Other companies like Pinstorm, Neil Patel Digital India, Kaizeen, Edelman India, Mobile Premier League, Expedia, Oyo also decided four days a week work model. (Image: Shutterstock)
Professional social network LinkedIn gave nearly all of its 15,900 full-time workers paid week off as it seeks to avoid burnout and allow its employees to recharge, the company told AFP on April 3. The Microsoft-owned firm said that the “RestUp!” The week starting April 5 is meant to give employees time for their own well-being. “There is something magical about the entire company taking a break at the same time,” LinkedIn said in reply to an AFP inquiry. “And the best part? Not coming back to an avalanche of unanswered internal emails.”
Bumble Inc, a dating app where women are in charge of making the first move, had temporarily closed all of its offices on June 21 for a week to give a “much-needed break” to its employees to recover from coronavirus burnout. The paid week off has been given to about 700 employees of Bumble and Badoo, which Bumble also owns, to combat workplace stress, according to a Bloomberg report.
Citigroup Inc announced in March that there would be just voice-only meetings on Fridays to combat burnout.
Goldman Sachs gave its workers globally an additional 10 days of leave to assist them in taking care of children or older relatives hit by the coronavirus. The US bank told employees that they were allowed the extra time off to manage the “unique individual circumstances related to the intense impact of Covid-19”. Bentley de Beyer, who took over as head of human capital management at Goldman in January, sent a note to the team telling them about the extra leave. “To encourage employees, we will now offer 10 days of family leave to our people worldwide to attend to family members, as required, due to Covid-19-related illness or childcare obligations, including homeschooling,” de Beyer addressed in the memo.
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