Companies Expect Increase in Flexible Work Arrangement, Survey Says

A Willis Towers Watson survey found that more companies in the Philippines expect the uptick of flexible work arrangements to continue in the future.

By 2023, employers anticipate the proportion of full-time employees working from home to increase by ten times, from 3% in 2017 to 34% by that year.

Patrick Marquina, Head of Talent & Rewards, Philippines, Willis Towers Watson, said that the new normal set-up pushed companies to adapt to flexible work arrangements.

“The pandemic pushed organizations to consider remote work and other flexible work arrangements. This practice will most likely continue as part of the new normal as companies realize that flexible work arrangements play a significant role in employee productivity and engagement,” said Marquina.

According to the survey, 95% of the respondents mentioned the employees’ safety as the reason for the alternative work arrangements with flexitime as the most common form in 2020.

However, nearly one-fifth of employers still do not have flexible work arrangements policies, and about two-thirds have just created a formal policy this year.

In anticipation of the increase in flexible work arrangements, one in seven companies believe their current architecture and job leveling process could maintain a flexible and agile workforce.

The survey also found that 3 out of 5 companies say their flexible work policies would not affect their overall pay budget. However, 47% realized the new requirements for work would need a new hybrid policy for pay and rewards.

With companies less likely to change spend on salary, they anticipate any savings will come from real estate as more employees are in flexible working schemes. 48% of companies are also expecting to reduce spending over the next three years. 32% of companies also expect to spend less on transportation and travel.

These savings are allocated to facilitate the necessary changes to the companies’ total rewards programs, such as equipping employees to work from home or for the health and wellbeing programs to support employees in a more agile and flexible workplace in the future.

The recent Willis Towers Watson survey called Flexible Work and Rewards Survey was conducted from October to November last year. A total of 434 organizations across the Asia Pacific, including 47 companies in the Philippines were participants in the survey. (ASC)