Community Forum: How is your organization structuring remote work?

IRI and Babson College have teamed up to conduct a longitudinal study on the impact that the coronavirus pandemic is having on R&D and innovation management.  In order to understand these impacts over time, we are conducting a series of surveys over the next two years, tracking such key issues as productivity, morale, culture, collaboration, and communication.  This is Part 1 of this month’s survey and you will receive Part 2 next week.  You can learn more about the study here.  We will also do a deep dive into the results at the project’s quarterly update and roundtable on July 20 at 12pm ET (receive an invitation). 

5. If yes, please explain your current thinking.

• I expect to see more flexibility for remote working, but it hasn’t developed yet.
• A new policy for remote work will be launched soon considering the entire organization.
• Employees can request 1-2 days remote going forward. >2 remote days can be requested with additional approvals needed.
• Guidance will be issued to spend 2 fixed days per week on site, the rest of the week can be handled flexibly.
• We used to be 100% on site. During COVID, it was a mix. Business roles were mostly remote, R&D roles were 2 days required in the office, plus anything additional required to achieve business objectives (plant trials, lab work, etc…) Our go-forward corporate policy will mandate at least 3 days in the office, plus “work from anywhere” days for the remaining two. R&D will skew closer to 4 days in the office (Fridays largely remote) simply due to the hands on nature of the work. We already have a year-round “summer hours” policy whereby people work longer during the week and can take off Friday afternoons, if business objectives don’t interfere.
• Flexible working is individually negotiated with your manager, but with the default being “yes” to the individual unless a specific reason can be given.
• Details still being finalized.
• Managers are to negotiate with individual team members with a minimum of 2 days on site.
• Considering X days a week in the office and X days remote.
• Establish a few days a week (2-3) for onsite and then use offsite for the remainder. Right now the onsite days are determined individually.
• Once stable after COVID, we will likely allow the option of additional remote working for applicable employees.
• We will give employees the option to work remotely, work with a hybrid schedule or full time in the office.
• In a global world it helps to give people flexibility. Large portion must be on site to do scientific work, but some don’t. For those positions that can be effective remote, we are becoming more flexible. For positions that require lab presence we want to offer some remote work for catching up on reports etc.
• After July 1 start with up to 2 days remote , probably leading to 1 later in the year. Some exceptions for 100% remote SME’s.
• R&D is allowing employees up to 2 days/week of flexible working, which can include working remotely.
• Productivity went up for some.
• It is under consideration to move to a more permanent situation where employees work several days on site and several remote to management physical space (availability of offices, etc.) and maintain work-life balance people have developed overall past 18 months.
• Something to be aligned with team managers.
• Depends on the demands of the job; but unless exceptional circumstances, requiring a certain minimum on-site attendance for collaboration needs.
• Additional staff and departments have requested to remain remote/distributed.
• Debate around one day a week for some jobs, maybe half day a week for others that are more lab oriented.
• We have had a flexible work arrangement policy for many years.  It is now being updated based on learnings from the pandemic and will be more flexible in the future.

7. If yes, please describe the requirement. 

• No distance specified, but “must be able to come onsite to meetings as requested”.
• Come to the office 3 days a week.
• No written requirement. However, for managers, they must be able to have presence in the lab and be available if something happens.