Returning to the workplace? Check out the IBM playbook
Are some of your employees already returning to the workplace? Then you might find IBM’s Return to Workplace Playbook useful in helping your company design its return-to-work plan.
IBM has released this playbook for its 350,000-strong workforce across the globe. The company has begun to implement a staggered return-to-work plan in the Philippines and other offices globally. It is sharing the principles behind the playbook with its customers and business partners.
The business imperatives
“It’s important for us to work alongside our clients so we can all build strategies that will adapt to the challenges that lie ahead. These business imperatives will definitely help them strengthen their resilience even further,” IBM Philippines Chief Operations Officer Rommell Silva said in a press statement.
The playbook guidelines are built around seven practical and actionable business imperatives:
- empower a remote workforce
- engage customers virtually
- remote access to everything
- accelerate agility and efficiency
- protect against new cybersecurity risks
- reduce operational costs and enhance supply chain continuity
- support health providers and government services
Silva said these business imperatives will be useful to clients as the country gradually moves forward through the pandemic.
Survey says
How did IBM come up with this playbook for returning to the workplace?
The playbook uses insights from a survey that IBM Institute for Business Value conducted in April. This involved 25,000 adults in the US. The survey asked respondents how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected them in terms of work, transportation, shopping, and attending large events, among others.
Results revealed that almost half of those surveyed believe in implementing social distancing in the workplace. They also cited the importance of remote work arrangements, training, and physical and emotional health.
Silva acknowledged the similarities of the results of the survey with that of the current IBM Philippines setting, emphasizing the importance of meeting the needs of their employees, customers, and business partners while observing the protocols of the national government.
Returning to the office
“We expect a larger number of employees to return to their respective offices as we slowly transition to new normal conditions. This is precisely why companies must know how to complement their safety guidelines for their stakeholders with that of government’s protocols without compromising performance and productivity. This playbook will definitely help us navigate through this changing environment,” Silva said.
IBM Philippines Chief Human Resources Officer Graziella de Guzman assured their employees and their families of the company’s close attention to health and safety once they begin to report back to the office.
“Our employees’ health and safety is our top priority. Not only do we want them to feel secure in our office premises, but we also want their families to have peace of mind each time they come home from work,” De Guzman said in a press statement.
About 95 percent of IBM’s global workforce from 175 countries has been working remotely since the middle of March. The first phase of the playbook includes a readiness checklist that applies to employees with on-site work settings; employers’ preparations and procedures for the workplace; and preparations and processes for employees, clients, and visitors.
Check out their Return to Workplace Playbook today.
