Following the spread of the omicron, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced a move to a reduced format of work from public sector ministries and also called on the private sector to reduce attendance and move to work from home as much as possible. After nearly two years of plague, with waves coming and going, and hybrid work in various formats, it seems most companies are not thrilled by the statement, and willing to allow more extended work from home, but not in a sweeping way.
Banks follow the guidelines
The big banks say they follow government guidelines. Bank Leumi said that the bank continues to provide full service as usual in branches around the country, and staff are incorporating work from home throughout the Corona crisis.
Bank Hapoalim says that “work from home has been adopted as a permanent format at the bank and it enables business continuity and continuity of service in various emergencies. Therefore, we act in accordance with the waves of illness and government guidelines and expand the scope of work from home.”
At Strauss, the policy has not yet changed, but the issue is being discussed in the wake of Bennett’s remarks. Office workers currently continue to work in a hybrid manner – two days at home and three in the office. “Of course, we continue to adhere to all safety rules: a green sign / PCR test for entering all sites and wearing masks,” the company said.
“Not waiting for statements”
According to the Dickman Foundation, VP of Human Resources at Meitav Dash, which allows its employees three working days from home on a regular basis, “We are not waiting for Bennett’s statement and have been conducting hybrid work in an orderly procedure, independent of corona condition, for more than a year. In our industry we were the first to move to hybrid work and we see it as a kind of win win. For everyone it works great, and it also allows us to connect employees to the company when they come to the offices. On the other hand, they have the opportunity to be at home, to avoid sitting in traffic jams and to do other things that balance their lives. “
How do you maintain a limited presence in the office? Are there fixed days?
“Each department manager determines what happens in his department. Some work permanent days and others work three-day and two-day shifts, according to the needs and desires of the employees. We advocate flexibility and see this as an advantage in the labor market: What employees want.
“In addition, we gave a NIS 500 grant to each employee who was vaccinated and we enforce a green card in the offices, even though we do not have to.”
Following the worsening of the disease, are there any workers who wanted to work from home?
“We have not yet encountered requests, but if someone asks, and is in a position that he can work from home, we will allow it. We are in a period where in terms of our debts to customers this is the most stressful period for financial entities.
“Allow employees to decide”
High-tech companies say the hybrid work allows them to continue as usual. According to Dana Bash Shelach, founder and co-CEO of ITalent, a technology recruitment company, “We see that all executives in high-tech companies emphasize to the employees that they have the option to work from home if they do not feel comfortable. It is clear that the flexibility that the companies have learned from the previous waves has been assimilated into the organization and they know how to respond quickly to situations of change.
“In a test we did among a number of high-tech companies, we saw that, at this stage, they continue in a hybrid format that combines home and office, but allow the employee to choose what is best for him. This can be seen in all technology sectors without exception, so the conclusion is That high-tech companies are not too frightened by the Prime Minister’s directive, but are prepared for it if necessary. “
Tal Raz, VP of zoominfo, says that the company currently follows the news and guidelines frequently. “We are a hybrid worker, and everyone can choose which days to get to the office and when to work from home. We really like that the employees come to the office, but the most important thing for us is their health and that they feel comfortable. They have all the conditions to work from home and everyone also has positions in the office. “Anyone who wants to work from home because of the worsening of the illness should not ask, but it is his decision.”
So right now the situation is unchanged?
“We just sat all the principals in the meeting and talked about how much fun it was for people to go back to the offices and maybe rent more space in the building, and someone said soon everyone will go back to homes, and it’s heartbreaking. We like to see guys have coffee together in the morning. “We all exchanged WhatsApp’s bases’ WhatsApps. Working from home is particularly detrimental to new employees, who are unable to make connections and connect with the corporate culture.”
Lipaz Citrinovich-Daoudi, a recruitment manager at Gloat, which has developed a system for managing and developing employees, also says that the company allows employees to choose whether to go to the office. “There is no dilemma when it comes to hybrid work. It is necessary to maintain flexibility in front of the workers because it helps them manage their time better and feel in control. We do everything necessary to keep our workers healthy, this is the most important task. Hybrid work definitely helps in prevention The increase in morbidity, as it prevents overcrowding in offices. “
According to Citrinovich-Daoudi, the management is attentive to the government’s instructions and if an order is given, the company will know how to make the necessary adjustments. “
“Companies need to take responsibility”
There are also companies that have responded to the prime minister’s call. Artlist, which previously stated that it would only work from offices, said its work model includes one day a week remotely and now, following Bennett’s call, the company’s recommendation is for work from home, and offices are open to those who still choose to visit them.
Bright Data, which makes visible data accessible from the network to every company and organization, announced on Monday to more than 300 of its employees that it invites its employees to work from home until 1.1.2022. At Porter, the Unicorn that specializes in preventing online commerce scams, they responded to the prime minister’s call and called on workers who can do so to work from home. The company has also reduced its planned events in the coming weeks.
The Israeli cyber start-up Semperis, which specializes in protecting, backing up and restoring entities for huge organizations around the world, has informed its employees that they will temporarily move to work from home. Matan Lieberman, director of operations at Semperis Israel, said: “We believe that companies that can afford work from home must take responsibility.”