As working age people have been getting their COVID vaccinations in the US, companies are moving from the theoretical regarding the “new” work life into putting new policies into place. There are a few I want to point out because they may be indicators of companies moving towards policies that are messier, but more employee focused.
Regarding work from home schedules, or lack thereof, General Motors came out swinging with Work Appropriately. As their CEO puts it, “This means that where the work permits, employees have the flexibility to work where they can have the greatest impact on achieving our goals.” So, the policy is basically, “Be an adult. If you would rather not commute and you get can your work done, do it at home. If you are a social animal and feel you’re more productive at the office, we’ll see you in the morning.” This policy places the responsibility, where it should be, on the employee to manage his/her/their performance and career as well as their work schedule.
Many companies struggle with people taking their paid time off (PTO). Even during the pandemic when many were experiencing additional stress, PTO was not fully being used. Sure, part of that was due to travel being restricted and there are cultural issues to be addressed if a large number of people are not using this benefit. But, many people were working longer hours from home and taking less time off. Organizations tend to believe that people are more productive and engaged when they take their PTO and are often frustrated when they do not. And, typical of American culture, they responded by threatening punishments (you can only accumulate so much PTO, use it or lose it, etc.). Now we are seeing the pendulum swing back as companies are beginning to offer incentives for taking PTO. Full disclosure: my wife works for an organization which has always done this and it helps. She would use less of her PTO without the incentive. And I think this is the case in organizations that have particularly competitive cultures. Incenting people to take PTO will not by itself reduce burnout, but it can be helpful.
Lastly, I want to bring up Amazon’s declaration that “We are going to be Earth’s Best Employer and Earth’s Safest Place to Work.” Of course, this comes with the caveats that it came from an outgoing CEO and right after a bruising union fight. However, that this additional employee focus, and not just for white-collar workers, was put on the table represents a sea change for an organization that is (proudly) customer-centric.
Now, this may just be a moment. Senior managers, who felt the stress and disruption of the pandemic as much as their employees, may be viewing their “most valuable asset” differently now, but when the usual business pressures inevitably return, they may snap back to the status quo. Or, employees will use these new tools to be productive and engaged enough so that they will stick. We will soon see if we are entering the age, or the fad, of the employee.