There are many lessons to be learnt from the way India’s leading technology companies have chalked out elaborate plans to bring employees back to office gradually. Tata Consultancy Services, for example, has adopted a 25×25 model, which requires no more than 25% of the employees to work from an office at any given point of time, and they will not spend more than 25% of their work time in the office. Others are also planning a phased return to office and are asking employees to attend office in person for just a day or two per week. Some of the old economy companies too are warming up to the idea. Under what it calls an “agile working model,” Tata Steel has identified roles that would allow employees to work from home (WFH) permanently, and auto majors such as Maruti are in the process of setting up new workplace models which will allow employees in certain roles to work from anywhere. Welcome to the new workplace in a post-pandemic world.
These companies are being pragmatic in the face of the flood of questions that their best employees are asking, the main one being, “Do we really need to be together, in an office, to do our work?” In fact, a majority of employees are questioning the rationale of working from office. There is no doubt that more and more employees favour flexible work conditions. Recent surveys have indicated that over half the employees will hit the exit button if their employers insist on making office attendance mandatory. Among employees who are currently working remotely or in a hybrid arrangement, 75% say their expectations for working flexibly have increased, and they would forgo an offer for a higher-paid job which requires them to compulsorily come to the office. This is particularly true of younger employees who have become accustomed to dialling in and skipping the wearying commute. These millennials, a substantial number of whom have never gone into their employers’ workplace, see no reason why operating remotely is not considered normal. The great divide at the workplace is evident from the fact that while some older white-collar employees are eager for offices to reopen, others have bristled at the thought of returning to their office desks.
One of the reasons why companies should opt for the hybrid model is the economic rationale, as there can be substantial savings to the business. Around 1.5 to 2 times the cost of employees is the typical cost of rental for office space alone. Furnishing, cafeteria and transportation are other major costs which could be reduced with employees working from home. At the other end of the spectrum is the valid view that returning to the workplace is critical to foster innovation and personal growth. Many industry leaders also say working in isolation during Covid has weakened employer-employee ties.
While the jury is still out, the solution is pretty obvious. Business leaders have to create work policies and plans that allow for more flexibility and personalisation. A hybrid future combining both remote work and office time has to be the answer, but that needs to be planned carefully as an ad hoc policy approach may just boomerang. The meticulous planning should consider which set of employees will come into office, when will they come, and how will companies realign and digitise all processes to ensure that employees on WFH do not feel left out. The reality is that sending everyone home to work during the pandemic was a catalyst for people to re-examine their relationship with work. It is thus natural for employees to rethink not only how, when, and where they work, but why. Companies the world over has to find solutions to these questions asked by their best talent.