In a blog post published Tuesday, Salesforce announced a series of permanent shifts it plans to implement in its work policies in response to the changes hastened by the pandemic lockdowns, including permanent work-from-home policies and more freedom for employees to choose their own schedules.
The cloud-based business software company declared that the “9-to-5 workday is dead,” and said it is giving its employees more freedom in choosing how to structure their work lives going forward.
“As we enter a new year, we must continue to go forward with agility, creativity and a beginner’s mind — and that includes how we cultivate our culture,” wrote Brent Hyder, Salesforce’s chief people officer. “An immersive workspace is no longer limited to a desk in our Towers; the 9-to-5 workday is dead; and the employee experience is about more than ping-pong tables and snacks.”
The typical eight-hour shift that’s become customary in the U.S. begins to make less sense, Hyder said, as Americans factor in picking up young children from school or caring for infirm or elderly family members.
“In our always-on, always-connected world, it no longer makes sense to expect employees to work an eight-hour shift and do their jobs successfully,” Hyder adds. “Whether you have a global team to manage across time zones, a project-based role that is busier or slower depending on the season, or simply have to balance personal and professional obligations throughout the day, workers need flexibility to be successful.”
While Hyder said flexibility will be key to directing Salesforce’s strategy going forward, the company has outlined three initial options employees will be able to choose from in tailoring their office lives going forward: flex, fully remote, and office-based.
Under the flex plan, employees would come into the office an average of one to three days per week for “team collaboration, customer meetings, and presentations.” Fully remote would be the situation for employees who only stopped by the office rarely — say, for work-related events — and office-based employees would be based in the office four to five days per week, and would comprise “the smallest population of our workforce,” said Hyder.
