Ford Motor Co. has allowed its workforce to work from home forever and come to the office only if they wish to. That means, starting July 2021, 30,000 employees at Ford will be free to choose the hybrid work-from home model and come to office only to attend meetings or take part in team-building activities as and when required, by the employees and their managers. The option, of course, is not available to workers at the factory.
The Michigan-based car-manufacturing company’s office staff have been working from home for almost a year now. The move is aimed at helping personalise work schedules and ensure flexibility, as per the needs of the employees, with approval of their individual managers.
The Company has been observing and studying the impact of remote working on the employees and their performance for over six months now. The move is based on surveys and a meaningful mapping of the future of work.
In June 2020, a company survey revealed that 95 per cent of Ford’s employees, worldwide, said they would prefer a blend of work-from-home and in-person/ in-office working post the pandemic. Many were happier working from home.
While the Company is not insisting on employees getting vaccinated before returning to work from its offices, it does plan to educate the staff about the vaccine and its benefits. It will stick to the practice of monitoring the temperature of the employees and keep an eye out for symptoms at its office. It will follow all the required protocols to prevent the spread of the virus.
