Tag: flexible working

As governments urge employers to get their people back in the workplace and so maximise office space and boost ‘post-pandemic’ service/retail economies, the focus should not just be on ‘getting bums on seats’. We have called for managers to meet the challenges of a new world of work with flexibility and creativity.

Widespread burnout and lack of flexible work continues to hinder progress in supporting working women, according to the our latest report, Women @ Work 2022: A Global Outlook released this month. The research reveals that 53% of women globally say their stress levels are higher than they were a year ago, and almost half feel burned out.

There have been a lot of useful opinions doing the rounds as the global working- world tackles the ‘back to the office’ conundrum. As a leader of a very open, convivial team, I most definitely thought that phasing our squad back to the office would be a seamless, stress-free exercise.

South Africa has one of the highest unemployment rates globally, which results in significant economic challenges. It has also created a growing contingent of discouraged job seekers, who have effectively given up on trying to secure employment, which exacerbates the issue.

The working environment had drastically changed over the past two years, with short-term changes forced by the COVID-19 pandemic becoming permanent. With a skills shortage in South Africa and employers competing for the best talent, it’s important that these new trends and ways of working are understood in order to attract and retain the best employees.

Since the pandemic began, Work-From-Home (WFH) has been lauded as the new working model for many occupations. Now, with vaccination efforts ramping up, some employers are eager to get their staff back to the office. Organisations need to plan and execute that migration sensibly and with sensitivity to keep productivity high.

A taste of freedom is an exhilarating thing. It brings a sense of wonder and clarity, and a peek into a world beyond what you know. Many people used to the fixed routine of office work have experienced that heady sense of freedom in the COVID-19 lockdowns, when working from home brought greater flexibility, more trust, a focus on output rather than input, and a significant time saving by not commuting.

South Africa has one of the highest unemployment rates globally, which results in significant economic challenges. It has also created a growing contingent of discouraged job seekers, who have effectively given up on trying to secure employment, which exacerbates the issue.

We are taking the hybrid bull by the horns and stepping up to help other organisations formalise their hybrid working models. Is hybrid working the way forward, even beyond the pandemic? We share our take on the working approach that is fast becoming the norm and a possible differentiator for employers.

The world of work is evolving and while we have seen some positive changes to the workplace since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a change taking place that negatively impacts our businesses, community and economy. It is the greater decline of women in the workplace.