For decades now, the corporate set-up has been fairly unchanged and has been able to keep the rules of operation, especially when it comes to the rules around working hours, working from office spaces and opinion on sabbaticals.
But with the entry of millennial employees into the workforce, and in small volumes, some of these set norms are up for question and change. Organisations which recognise that this change is here to stay and that these millennials are a key component of their workforce are moving quickly to adapt policies and rules to work for this segment.

In a recent research by the Human Resource Management Center, 92% of the millennials surveyed said they would like the freedom to work from anywhere. Another 62% said they would like to travel while working. Both of these findings are clear indicators of what organisations need to gear up for.

At VML, where nearly 80% of our workforce is under 35 years of age, we are clear that we would like to find ways to adapt to the needs of this segment of our employees. One such area of flexibility has been in the policy around sabbaticals.

For instance, Justin Chai, a project manager at VML Singapore who aspired to move to a creative side to learn arts and museums, was allowed with a three-month leave to go to Europe and learn. Half of his sabbatical programme was funded by the organisation. The short point is the agency made this possible for an employee who has been with us for a long period of employment, and in a situation where we felt that the experience would enrich the employee. So that when he returned to the organisation, he would be able to add a unique perspective to the work we do.

Another such instance is Etienne Do, a young employee inspired by the possibilities of a start-up who took a sabbatical leave to go to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, to pursue a low-cost study. The company funded his study for a year and sanctioned a concession to work from Ho Chi Minh City.

Flexibility, therefore, is a must if organisations want to retain their employees in the future. At the same time, it is important to invest in the right people.

By Tripti Lochan

The author is CEO, VML South Asia, the global marketing agency