UOB Malaysia said on Wednesday that after Covid-19 limitations are relaxed, most of its nearly 5,000 employees would be able to work remotely up to two days each week.
In a statement, the bank stated that driving the “permanent change” is the bank’s desire to guarantee colleagues achieve the correct mix of professional fulfillment and mental well-being.
It was shown that two days of remote working per week are the most beneficial for employees to maintain a sense of connection with colleagues and the organization while achieving maximum performance.
Following an assessment of work habits, workplaces, and workforce technology tools during the Covid-19 outbreak, the bank made the statement, according to which over 60% of bank functions were evaluated as being suitable for working remotely, whether from home or another location other than the employee’s allocated workplace.
It went on to say that UOB Malaysia’s new remote work choices are in line with larger community attitude, with 90% of Malaysians expecting some type of flexible work arrangement to become more frequent in a post-pandemic era.
Lai Tak Ming, executive director and country head of human resources at UOB Malaysia, stated that the pandemic has changed the way people would work in the future and that the notion of what defines a “workplace” has been fundamentally rethought.
According to him, the Covid-19 pandemic has forced enterprises to undertake a fundamental change from a traditional office paradigm to almost entirely remote working upending how businesses and people function.
“Now as the economy begins to reopen and the country transitions into the endemic phase of Covid-19, we believe that the future work environment is a hybrid work model.”Lai Tak Ming, Executive Director and Country Head of Human Resources, UOB Malaysia
UOB Malaysia also solicited feedback from its employees on the challenges of having their homes converted into offices during Covid-19, and discovered that during the peak of Covid-19, 85% of them reported being as effective while working from home, while 15% said they faced stress-inducing challenges.
These stresses included balancing family and professional commitments, a lack of personal workspace at home, increased working hours due to a ‘always on’ mentality, and difficulty in nurturing teamwork and collaboration online, according to the group, which added that the bank has recently enhanced mental wellness programs.
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