Two years after the pandemic forced the corporate business world into a big experiment with flexible working, interest in all forms of flexibility is higher than ever. The vast majority of employees want to work in companies that offer remote or hybrid work options. While only 7 percent of companies take action to make remote and hybrid working permanent, 32 percent say these options may expand in the next year (1)
Although remote and hybrid may not work for all companies, or not all roles are suitable for these new ways of working, there are three key things to consider in transition processes;
1- Choice is critical. Employees who can choose to work remotely or onsite in their preferred arrangement—are less burnt out, happier at work, and much less likely to consider leaving their company. However, as there is no one size fits all, the flexible working approach will not be applicable to all employees.
2- The option to work remotely is especially important for women. While only 1 in 10 women would like to work mostly on-site, many women point to remote and hybrid. She argues that when women work remotely, they can at least stay away from psychological pressure because they are less exposed to micro-aggression (2).
3- Remote and hybrid working can create new challenges as well as benefits. Most employees prefer to work remotely, at least most HR leaders argue that flexible working options in the job offer are highly beneficial in reaching different specializations, retaining employees and establishing new work networks. On the other hand, there are of course disadvantages to these potential new ways of working. It is thought that remote working may weaken the commitment to the company, remote and hybrid working will eliminate the concept of overtime, and weaken mechanisms such as recognition and appreciation (2).
4- Remote working options are especially critical for women with disabilities. The transition to remote and hybrid work has been particularly beneficial for women with disabilities. Working from home provides conditions for increased productivity as it makes it easier for women with disabilities to manage mobility issues, chronic pain and mental health. Women with disabilities also feel more respected and supported when they have the opportunity to choose to work remotely. They feel more comfortable as they are less likely to be exposed to micro-attacks, such as making negative comments about their appearance or openly questioning their appearance by their coworkers.
5- When implementing new policies and programs, companies need to make sure they don't just "check the box". The programs that companies implement must be of high quality; Research shows that in some areas low-quality programs are more harmful than doing nothing. Similarly, it has been shown that the one-time trial-and-error approach does not work (3). Widespread introduction of new policies and programs and regular briefing, for example, with the anticipation that employees may need regular refresher information on bias is recommended. If companies want a long-term cultural change, parameters such as employee training, participation tracking, and equity analysis of the benefits offered should be considered.
Within the scope of SATELLITE-Next Generation Working Models, we have implemented four new working models in Yıldız Holding companies operating in Turkey. Behind the implementation of this working model, as emphasized by the International Labor Organization (ILO), lies the need to improve the work-life balance, especially of women with child and elderly care responsibilities.
While applying the working model, we received feedback from employees through surveys, analyzed current jobs and workforce, and examined trends and practices in the world. The SATELLITE model consists of four models: remote, hybrid, office and sales area, according to duties and responsibilities.
By redesigning Yıldız Holding buildings and offices with the SATELLITE operating model; We create spaces where physical and virtual environments are intertwined, common working areas are increased, special areas are provided for digital meetings, and socialization is increased.
In 2021 with pladis, we established Hybrid Working in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Europe, Türkiye, U.S.A. and developing markets, facilitating colleagues who are able to perform some of their duties at the office and other duties remotely to work in an agile way, allowing for a better balance for its employees, particularly those with dependents and family responsibilities, of which many continue to be women. Additionally a suite of policies related to colleague work-life balance are in place to support colleagues in three area in the United Kingdom and Ireland:
(1) A comprehensive family friendly policy enabling parents to request specific flexible working arrangements to support care for dependents.
(2) A maternity/paternity/adoption/parental leave toolkit for managers to support colleagues prior to, during and returning to work following their leave. In addition, a buddy scheme has been created to help individuals stay connected to the business and receive support and guidance, if required.
(3) Creating a dedicated lactation room for women colleagues to express breast milk and store it appropriately supporting their return to work following maternity leave at the pladis Global HQ.
Within the scope of adaptation and adaptation to the SATELLITE-Next Generation Working Models, an online training series consisting of 3 modules focused on "Work Remotely", "Digital Facilitation" and "Digital_Customer & Employee Experience" is offered for all white-collar employees within Yıldız Holding. In addition, both office and remote employees can access the e-learning program pladis Academy for 3,500 employees to facilitate the hybrid working order, and manage their individual learning and development processes according to their needs and career journeys. pladis Academy also offers Inclusion, Diversity and Equality training modules to enable employees to develop in this field.
References;
(1) https://wiw-report.s3.amazonaws.com/Women_in_the_Workplace_2022.pdf
(2) Robin J. Ely and Irene Padavic, “What’s Really Holding Women Back?” Harvard Business Review, March–April 2020, https://hbr.org/2020/03/whats-really-holding-women-back. Herminia Ibarra, Julia Gillard, and Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, “Why WFH Isn’t Necessarily Good for Women,” Harvard Business Review, July 16, 2020, https://hbr.org/2020/07/why-wfh-isnt-necessarily-good-for-women
(3) Katerina Bezrukova, Chester S. Spell, Jamie L. Perry, et al., “A meta-analytical integration of over 40 years of research on diversity training evaluation,” Psychological Bulletin 142, no. 11 (November 2016): 1227–74, https://www.proquest.com/docview/1819126367/fulltextPDF/7F606D14126144BBPQ/5?forcedol=true.