The argument over whether work should be virtual or in physical offices is \u201cyesterday\u2019s conversation,\u201d Tim Ryan, U.S. chair and senior partner at PwC, said during a Washington Post Live event Aug. 9. Employees, he said, are looking for something different.<\/p>\n
That \u201csomething different\u201d includes what Ryan calls \u201cprotected time off.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A few years ago, the company began to shut down over the holiday week<\/a> in December, and worker feedback was \u201ctremendous\u201d about that benefit, he said. In response, the company instituted another week off in July this year, on top of the typical two to three weeks of vacation time the company provides.<\/p>\n \u201cThe holiday shutdown is incredibly valuable because everyone takes it off,\u201d Ryan said. Email volume and pressure to be available goes down, meaning workers have a real chance to disconnect and recharge. Feedback from employees signified that the benefit went over well, he said.<\/p>\n Moves like shutting down the entire office<\/a> for a week are gaining momentum in part because workers have power in this market, and that\u2019s not changing, Ryan said \u2014 not even if a recession hits.<\/p>\n \u201cAnyone who thinks the power dynamic is going to go back, honestly and humbly, I think they are making a mistake,\u201d Ryan said.<\/p>\n That power comes from multiple macro levers that have tightened the available workforce overall, including an aging population, tightened immigration controls and the growing allure of gig work, Ryan said. The question for employers becomes: What are we going to do to change?\u00a0<\/p>\n For some, change has meant shifting to a hybrid model of work to better accommodate employees. But even this shift has revealed how easily employers and workers can fall out of step, experts previously told HR Dive<\/a>. Something seemingly as simple as asking workers to come into the office two days a week can signify a lack of trust in workers and a lack of understanding in how work is done, they said.<\/p>\n PwC is tackling this problem by investing billions in its My+ program<\/a>, a tech-centered approach to re-imagining the workday at PwC, Ryan said. But how such change will preserve and mold company culture is still a big question for all organizations, he continued.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re all in good company. We\u2019re all struggling with it,\u201d Ryan said. \u201cWe know how to build culture one way. \u2026 That\u2019s how I learned, that\u2019s how most of my generation learned.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Offices were traditional pathways<\/a> to forming and delivering a company culture, various studies have said. Now that employers are spending less on office space, they have the resources to try other things and \u201cfollow the lead of their people,\u201d Ryan said. PwC, for example, has used some of its office money to invest in workers gathering together in other ways.<\/p>\n \u201cThe reality is the world has changed,\u201d Ryan said, \u201cand I think it\u2019s for the better.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n This item was originally posted here: Read More<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"