The ‘new normal’ after lockdown needs new ways of working, so Vodafone UK is evolving its offices and workplaces.
Vodafone UK is preparing its offices and workplaces for the return of its employees, the majority of whom have been working from home since the coronavirus pandemic started.
Given how well the company coped with home working, Vodafone aims to retain the flexibility that it provides by giving employees the ability to work from home, where possible, as well as using offices.
Vodafone UK colleagues will, depending on the specifics of their role, be able to work in one of three ways:
- ‘Blended’ working – staff, such as support and head office colleagues, who will be able to work partly from home and partly in an office, with the pattern being agreed by local line managers.
- At home – some colleagues will, in future, work from home the majority of the time.
- At a specific site or in the field – e.g. retail store staff and network engineers, respectively.
In the more flexible offices, there will be less emphasis on rows of desks. Instead, there will be more meeting spaces for the times when it’s advantageous for colleagues to meet in person, such as for workshops, events, product launches and team building.
In the future, we’ll work virtually when we can. When we need to come together physically, we will
(Clare Corkish, HR Director)
To support colleagues working safely and comfortably from their homes, they will be offered an ‘Office in a Box’, comprising a desk, chair, desk lamp, foot stool and laptop riser or monitor as necessary.
Clare Corkish, Human Resources Director, Vodafone UK, said: “We’ve shown over the last year how well we can work together virtually. Its flexibility has enabled us all to better balance and juggle our busy lives.
“In the future, we’ll work virtually when we can. When we need to come together physically, we will. These guiding principles will allow us to work in a way that captures the best of both: the flexibility and empowerment of working virtually at home, while being able to come together when it’s needed to get things done.”
The company expects to learn from the experiences of staff as they experiment with the most effective ways of using the newly flexible workspaces.
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