New Ways of Working for Flexibility

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Without a doubt, the pandemic has shifted our lives and our work. At Schneider Electric, we learned a lot during the past months, as we quickly shifted our ways of working to protect the health and safety of our people and ensure business continuity.

A company’s culture is tested in times of crisis, and our culture of trust and agility showed strength and resilience. And as we entered a “new normal”, we wanted to ensure our people are enabled and empowered to perform at their best and manage their unique lives and work.

So, when 83% of our employees shared they want more flexibility, we heard them loud and clear. We have refreshed our Flexibility at Work policy, introducing a new global standard that introduces the hybrid work model (a mix of working from home and working from office) across the company. Starting in January 2021, all Schneider Electric employees who can perform their roles remotely will be able to work from home two days a week.

Hybrid work is part of New Ways of Working – our philosophy on the future of work for individuals and teams. New Ways of Working assumes flexibility as a given and is based on trust, empowerment, and a culture that focuses on behaviors and results.

All these changes will lead to a more trusting company with stronger work performance, greater well-being and a greener footprint overall.

During all these changes, I reflect on my own journey during the past year. Starting a new role amid a pandemic was very tough but I learned a lot as we’ve had to move quickly and make decisions to help our employees, customers and organization during unique times. There was and still is a lot to get used to during this challenging transition, but I firmly believe that having the flexibility and empowerment to navigate these transitions in a way that makes sense for an employee’s unique life will be monumental in transformation.

And as we’re slowly wrapping up this challenging year, one thing is certain: there is no going back to the way we used to work.  If I learned one thing in 2020, it’s that our strong culture, led by our Core Values and Leadership Expectations, brings us together and sees us through trying times.

Now it is up to us to lead with trust and empower our people to do the right thing.

Learn more about our initiatives and careers here: www.se.com/careers