Embracing the New “Work from Anywhere” Reality

By Simona Zareva

TBS HR Team Lead

As the COVID 19 restrictions are gradually lifted, many organizations are considering having their employees back to the office as the economy is reopening. While some people are happy to return to the pre-pandemic normalcy, others, however, have started to appreciate the chance to work from home and have the fundamental freedom that this new setup brings about.

During the period of social isolation, many people have come to realize that the office environment is where they feel more productive, while others felt better working at home which allowed them to avoid commuting to the office, take care of their small children, and be more focused and creative at the same time.

As one of the first companies in Bulgaria that quickly and successfully switched to a remote work model back in March, Telelink Business Services  has recently decided to give its employees the freedom and flexibility to choose where to work from: the home, office or wherever they feel safe.

Being a responsible corporate citizen, Telelink understands its accountability to its employees and the society as a whole. To that end, the company puts safety first but also wants to make sure that its employees feel happy and productive wherever they work from.

With the notion that people might have different attitudes when it comes to their own future workstyle, the company has conducted an internal survey on the team’s opinion about where they feel more efficient and comfortable to work from. Based on the results of that survey, Telelink has adopted a flexible return-to-the-office policy that reflected the different preferences of its employees.

“I think that this crisis may have taught us to work remotely and in virtual teams. I don`t know how long and how many times we will be forced to work remotely in the future. But I know that we will continue to work to create an organization that could fully operate remotely. We trust our people and believe in their personal sense of responsibility,” Telelink Business Services CEO Ivan Zhitiyanov said in a message to the staff.

The company has offered its team the option to come work safely in the office in groups not exceeding 30% of all employees for the two weeks starting from May 26, and 50% for the following two weeks. Thus, the staff will have the opportunity to choose which way of work suits them best depending on their personal preferences and the nature of their roles in the company. Employees will be able to work in the office, but they will also have the chance to work remotely or split their time between working in and out of the office.

The company believes that this approach will allow social interaction and networking that many employees need, while at the same time will empower its team to work in an environment where they feel more productive. This way, people might choose to work from the office when they have meetings or stay at home when they need to concentrate on solving a complex task.

To facilitate the back-to-office process and make sure all employees are safe, the company has developed a Return to The Office Playbook which includes guidelines ensuring the responsible behavior of people, the disinfection measures, the seating, and meeting patterns, etc.

In addition, TBS has decided to implement a “hot desk” policy that will enable the company to grow without the physical boundaries of the office. The system will provide flexibility in the current unusual situation, it will result in an efficient usage of the office space and eventually, while the company expands, it will be cost-efficient.

The company’s flexible working style policy has been created with the aim to preserve the values, identity, and culture, ensure constant contact and collaboration between people while removing part of the work stress by allowing the staff to work from anywhere. The company believes that adopting this “hybrid” approach is best for the organization because it takes into account all different views of its employees and empowers them to make their own choices at work.

As a modern IT company, Telelink believes that the typical working habits have already irreversibly changed. With the new modern workplace, IT solutions, safe network infrastructure, and enhanced information security, each and every organization could switch to a “work from anywhere” scenario. That will inevitably cut costs, increase productivity, and improve the comfort of the employees. As the latest events changed our personal life, it is more than sure that our office and corporate life will not be the same as well and we need to get ready and embrace it.