We’re ditching the conventional work from the office and letting our employees freely choose where they want to work. Yes, Accubits is permanently adopting a work from anywhere model! With this policy, we offer a hybrid work model that aims to empower and enable employees with their choice of workspace, giving them freedom and flexibility to shape the working days. The employees whose physical presence is not required in the office will be able to work from anywhere permanently, even after the office reopens after the pandemic.
The work from anywhere policy allows almost all our employees to work remotely and to relocate anywhere the company can legally employ them. We’re giving our employees the chance to figure out which work arrangement best supports their lifestyle and mental health. We believe that we should always optimize for where people feel their most creative and content while working.
When we asked our employees, some favored the comforts of working from home while some of them preferred to work from the office once we reopened. It seems that some just missed their work buddies and those tea breaks to stretch out. Some hoped to come in for a few days a week and then work in their pajamas for the rest of the week. So we got to work to figure out which would be the best way to implement this structure, and that’s when the Eureka moment kicked in we opted for work from anywhere policy.
Most will work remotely 100% of the time and others will have a hybrid arrangement, with some in-office time as well. A small percentage of employees will be in the office 4-5 days per week if their job requires it. Certain teams that account for less than 18% of the workforce would still need to work from the office for the next two years to meet the client preferences and security requirements for projects.
We now offer three categories of flexible work for employees:
Since the pandemic left no choice but to shift communications online. But during this time we noticed a positive change in our employees. Even with the initial difficulty in the sudden change, our employees soon adapted and made the most of it. So we utilized this shift to experiment and figure out better ways to communicate and collaborate with teams across different geographical locations. So throughout the year, we’ve slowly dismantled the conventional office work culture and found out the best ways to support teams and employees during this change.
“The sudden shifts in the work mode brought by the pandemic was a testbed for us. We were doubtful and skeptical about the consequences of the prolonged work from home. But, people here have been extraordinarily supportive and proven that physical presence in the office is not necessary to bring efficient work and innovations” observes our CHRO Roystone Fernandez.
Adopting a work from anywhere policy has its own challenges like the barriers to communication, brainstorming, the connection between the employees, and so on.
We sort to set up virtual meetings and meetups, that can help build a better line of communication and build video conference etiquettes alongside. We also conduct R&R’s which is a rewards and recognition program that includes games and fun time to relax with our colleagues. These are slowly preparing us for the not very new norm.
We have brought out initiatives like Accubits Unplugged, Let’s Talk, Push Up challenges, Happiness Project and we’ve been posting photos of our home offices in hopes of inspiring others. We wanted to recreate “a water cooler effect,” serendipity that lets people build connections that aren’t just transactional. We are hoping to bring out more challenges and fun activities that can break the barriers of employee alienation.
Even with initiatives like those we have our share of challenges like struggling with scheduling meetings across time zones and having to formally cut down on video meetings to avoid Zoom fatigue. With all the initiatives we bring in, we try to find ways that can balance out work and interactions.
We’ve redesigned our performance review system, HRMS system, our pay structures, employee engagement initiatives, medical initiatives, team retreats, frequency of casual catch up’s and shifted to a more elaborate HR/Onboarding team to make our transition to the new norm smoother and easier.
In the official statement, Mr. Roystone Fernandes, CHRO of Accubits Technologies, said “We’ve noticed remarkable growth in productivity and innovations even when the majority of the employees are working from home. At this point, we believe it’s essential to let people have the freedom to choose how they work and from where they work. The pandemic has presented an opportunity to analyze and understand more creative and productive ways of working and engaging. Our WFA policy is an investment and commitment to employee happiness and well-being.”
What we want for our employees
Everyone has their own space where they can optimize their work to become the most productive. Flexibility around geography can help can people figure out that space. We want to help our employees be their best selves.
A fixed office sometimes means that an employee has to travel long distances to reach the office. This commute can waste hours of their life that they devote to their family or their work. Staying close to family increases the general wellbeing and happiness of an employee which in turn increases their productivity. Freedom to relocate also means that families can now shift to areas that have less pollution, be closer to relatives and thus make sure to give their children a better environment to grow. The stigma around working mothers can be cut down and new mothers wouldn’t have to strain themselves physically and emotionally when she “comes back to work”.
We are also excited about increasing our talent pool, with WFA we can find the best fit for our family without the limitation of location. That dream of traveling and looking for adventure can actually happen while you work. You no longer have to wait to find a holiday that works for you. If you have good internet reception voila you’re at work with ocean view. It can take away your stress and the monotony of working from a single place.
It’s the end of an era when great ideas at work were born out of daily in-person interactions — a hallmark of Silicon Valley thinking. We want to help our employees be at their best- mentally and physically. We’d love to enable the choices that can help them with it.
