Throughout the pandemic, working from dwelling was the order of the day at Ericsson. However as staff began to return, it was determined two years in the past to have a 50 p.c attendance within the workplace — a coverage that was by no means actually adopted up, in keeping with Jessica Nygren, vice chairman of the Swedish Affiliation of Graduate Engineers’ native department at Ericsson.
Now the corporate needs to see extra folks within the workplace, and on the finish of the summer time it introduced a brand new coverage: 60 p.c attendance.
The corporate’s press officer Ralf Bagner described it as “a minor adjustment within the pointers to extend readability.”
“At the moment, Ericsson has a hybrid guideline primarily based on the truth that we consider within the human encounter. We additionally consider that there ought to be a objective to the place a person or group chooses to work. This leads to an office-first mindset amongst managers and staff,” he stated through e-mail.
Jessica Nygren describes the change very in another way.
“The choice got here very out of the blue, with out warning, which meant that many managers took it straight at their phrase. Each day we see horror examples the place managers state that staff ought to are available three days every week, full days. However it’s said within the coverage that it’s about 60 p.c of the working time over a yr, which makes a fairly large distinction. To observe it to the letter strangles flexibility,” she stated.
Guidelines with out motive
Bagner wrote, “Ericsson’s hybrid guideline has all the time given each supervisor, worker and group the chance to work in dialogue on how and the place they work finest and that everybody understands the significance and advantages of assembly, from a person and group perspective, and from a social and cultural perspective.”
However this isn’t what it appears to be like like in observe, in keeping with the union.
“We additionally consider that the corporate wants a larger presence within the workplace — builders have to brainstorm to seek out new merchandise going ahead — however no motive has been offered for us to make use of this specific mannequin.
Because it appears to be like now, many are in a bind in keeping with Jessica Nygren. Among the staff come from different areas the place Ericsson has beforehand had operations which have downsized or disappeared. They’ve then been provided a place in Kista however have remained in Örebro or Gävle. Now they’re out of the blue required to commute 5, six hours a day, three days every week.
And once they arrive, the workplace could also be full already.
“If you happen to’ve been commuting for a number of hours, you need an satisfactory office: We’re presupposed to be inside 60 p.c of the time, however there are solely seats for 50 p.c of the employees, so you must puzzle. In some locations there may be a whole lot of house left, in others not. Yesterday, for instance, two of my colleagues sat in the bathroom and took conferences as a result of there was no room. Others exit and get within the automotive,” she says.
Not opposed
On the similar time, Jessica Nygren emphasizes that the union just isn’t in opposition to extra folks coming into the workplace, however that it’s a course of that ought to be allowed to take a while and be higher tailored to totally different people.
“If we had been instructed that they wished to extend the presence within the workplaces, we’d have given the thumbs up. However then maybe they need to have introduced that it could be launched after the flip of the yr and that they took in suggestions within the meantime. Are there parking areas? What’s commuting? How can we entice folks — as a substitute of with “push” as right now, it could be higher with “pull”.
Managers also needs to keep away from having a harsh coverage imposed on them and be capable of resolve what works of their specific work group, in keeping with Jessica Nygren — somebody could have to be within the workplace for greater than three days whereas another person can work extra from dwelling.
From the union’s facet, nonetheless, they suppose they’ve a great dialogue with CEO Börje Ekholm, who has clarified in his weekly newsletters that “one dimension” doesn’t match all.
“Now the corporate administration simply has to get the opposite managers to know it — because it appears to be like now, the staff don’t really feel protected and they don’t really feel welcome within the workplace in instances the place they’re squeezed by the brand new coverage,” says Jessica Nygren.
