DETROIT – A majority of Ford Motor’s approximately 86,000 worldwide employees who have not yet returned are expected to start this summer through a new hybrid work schedule that gives employees more flexibility when they report to the office.
The carmaker briefed staff on Wednesday morning about their plans, a year after many of the company’s non-manufacturing employees began working remotely to slow down the distribution of Covid-19.
According to Kiersten Robinson, Ford chief executive and employee experience officer, the larger return job is not expected before July. She said how many employees will be able to work remotely will be based on their job responsibilities as well as discussions with managers.
“The nature of the work we do will be a guiding element,” Robinson told CNBC. “If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the last twelve months, it’s that many of our assumptions have shifted around work and what employees need.”
About 40% of employers who switched to remote work at the start of the coronavirus pandemic plan to return workers to the office as early as this month, according to a recent conference report. Most may make it voluntary for some and obligatory for others, the think tank that has been found – or adopt a kind of flexible weekly schedule like Ford’s.
About 100,000 of Ford’s 186,000 employees, mainly in manufacturing, have already returned to work. It is expected that work schedules will not change much, if any, for workers who must be at a certain facility to perform their duties.
According to company spokesman David Caldwell, Ford’s biggest rival, General Motors, expects to bring back remote employees in June or July. The company did not disclose a plan to employees, but Caldwell said it would be “more flexible” based on someone’s responsibilities.
Vaccinations
According to Ford, Ford has decided over the past year on several rounds of employee surveys regarding return to work. Questions include preferences about working remotely and whether employees plan to be vaccinated.
“We’ve been working a lot over the last twelve months on exploiting the lessons and the impact on how we think about the evolution of Ford’s work,” she said. She said the carmaker inspects its employees almost every week.
A majority of Ford’s employees are expected to be vaccinated, Robinson said. The company does not oblige, but provides information and resources to those who have not yet decided.
Office changes
The company expects to continue to require employees to wear masks and practice social distance for at least the rest of the year, Robinson said.
Such practices as well as the flexibility regarding where and when employees can work are not rigid, she said. Instead, she said the company will continue to learn and adapt to the wishes of employees, as well as what health officials recommend.
“We do not call it the ‘future of work’, but we deliberately call it ‘evolution’ because we are constantly going to learn and use the students to adapt our practices and policies around flexible work, as well as other areas,” Robinson said. said.
Once employees are back at work, Robinson said the experience will be different for many. Instead of going to work ‘somewhat inconsiderately’ daily, it will be based on events such as meetings, presentations or projects that require more collaboration than others.
Ford offered alternative work schedules, such as ten-hour days four times a week instead of the traditional five-day workday, but Robinson said the rate for such programs was low. This is one of the many things the company will be monitoring regarding its new plans, she said.