Flexible Employment: BA Latest to Go With Remote Working Future

British Airways has announced they will continue with flexible employment practices by allowing employees to split their work time between home and the office.

Following on the heels of BP, who recently stated an intention to have their 25,000-strong employee list working from home 40% of the working week, this could well be the start of a trend in big business.

Keen to save money following a disastrous financial year as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, companies are looking at ways to cut costs.

A year-long trial of home-working proved effective in convincing company leaders that it could remain part of the future, with a hybrid model being adopted by many.

Lloyds Banking Group said it will cut office space by 20% over two years, while 40% of office space will be cut by HSBC.

The issue for senior management, when implementing flexible employment, is how to develop sustainable practices which keep staff feeling valued and part of their company, despite being away from it for periods of the week.

Options for HR departments to help remote staff feel valued

Companies have been exchanging the usual social events, restricted by Covid, for virtual rewards such as shopping vouchers. Then, on a more regular basis, some organisations have been hosting virtual social nights to keep staff engaged with their colleagues.

As businesses adjust, and possibly change permanently, as a legacy of the Covid pandemic, so they will need to maintain an ongoing commitment to off-site health and safety.

How can Onhealth improve staff health and mental wellbeing?

As part of an on-going commitment to staff, companies should be looking to maintain dialogue, check in regularly on those working away from the office and ensure they are working in optimal conditions for productivity.

Onhealth offers a remote workstation assessment that can provide documented ways of improving the home-working environments of individual employees. Developed by HCPC registered physiotherapists, they will host a one-to-one video call to assess the work environment of staff, offering advice and guidance on how to improve it.

This will then be put into a report which is submitted to the HR department of the company, providing future action points that can be enacted and checked upon as part of an ongoing commitment.

Reducing sick days, minimising the risk of working from home injuries and ensuring a caring approach to staff, a remote workstation assessment scheme is a vital part of future remote-working.

How to set up a remote workstation assessment scheme

If you want the professional expertise and support of HCPC registered physiotherapists to help boost employee health and wellbeing in your company, contact us today to find out about our service by email or call our team on 0344 576 1679.