‘Work is something we do, not somewhere we go,’ said IP Telecom’s boss as the company switches to a hybrid working model.
Irish telecom service provider IP Telecom has said it is switching to a long-term hybrid working model for all staff.
The new policy will come into effect in September when offices are expected to reopen as Government Covid-19 restrictions ease.
IP Telecom’s decision was made following discussions across all departments in the company’s Dublin headquarters as well as its bases in Croatia, South Africa and Belarus.
“Work is something we do, not somewhere we go – companies must adapt to the fundamental shifts that the last 18 months has brought to the way we work,” Shena Brien, CEO of IP Telecom, commented.
‘Covid-19 has accelerated the shift towards this model forward by a decade’
– SHENA BRIEN
Under the new policy, the company’s staff will spend five out of 10 working days in the office and can work from anywhere on the remaining five days.
Face-to-face collaboration will still be prioritised in the working week schedule, as crossover days will be planned to allow teams to meet in the office to discuss projects.
“We see the hybrid model as not only the best way for a phased return to the workplace but as a long-term solution to work-life balance, productivity and environmental concerns – whilst at the same time addressing any of the social isolation or knowledge sharing issues that wholly remote working can bring,” Brien added.
The hybrid working model could become a more common fixture in Irish workplaces in the future.
A new survey of Institute of Directors in Ireland members found that 69pc of business leaders believe their staff will transition to a hybrid working model when public health restrictions are lifted.
Just 8pc of those surveyed said that all staff would exclusively work in the office or workplace, while just 2pc indicated that all staff would exclusively work remotely.
The demand for hybrid working could also increase among future generations. A recently survey by hybrid work solutions platform Kettle found that half of Gen Z workers in the US would leave their job if there was no hybrid working model in place.
According to Brien of IP Telecom, the shift to hybrid working is not merely a passing phase.
“The trend towards the hybrid model was obvious across different industries even before Covid-19, which has accelerated the shift towards this model forward by a decade,” she said.
“Management and employees across Irish companies that have adopted remote working models now realise that business and service levels can be maintained for many businesses whilst remote and that to manage a successful return to the workplace – whilst maintaining the many benefits of remote working – the hybrid workplace model is one that makes sense for companies and staff alike.”
