Ocado allows employees to work from abroad for a month
Ocado Group has announced its employees will be allowed to work remotely from a country of their choosing for up to a month.
The online grocer’s Chief People Officer, Claire Ainscough, confirmed the policy in comments to The Times, stating that the company is still encouraging a return to the office.
The news comes as many companies are rethinking employment policies following the rise of remote working during the pandemic.
The opportunity to work abroad was a commonly made request at meetings, particularly for those with family in other countries, Ocado reportedly said.
The online grocer wanted to offer “a balance and choice” in response to the repeated requests.
Ocado chief executive Tim Steiner also spent some time working from his parents’ home in the Bahamas during the pandemic according to the report.
Shares in Ocado Group were down 0.9 per cent at the time of writing.
Hybrid working policies are increasingly being announced by both businesses and government.
Asda has said it will allow its head office staff to “select the best location to do their job”, whether it is from home, head office or even a store or depot.
Flexible working is “here to stay,” business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng told the BBC, adding that he would still be urging his team to come in more.
Government employees have been asked to make a “gradual return” to Whitehall, but Kwarteng is calling for them to work from the office just two to three days a week.
But investment bank Goldman Sachs insists that it wants staff back into the office when restrictions are lifted.