WFH: Ford to allow some employees work from home forever

*The automobile manufacturing company has told its workers that it is adopting a hybrid work schedule

*The Conference Board’s recent report also suggests that employers in the US are beginning to consider the idea of workers staying at home to reduce the amount of money spent on office space and associated costs

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

While across the United States are still trying to figure out if and when they will need to return to the office, Ford employees now know exactly where they stand.

It was learnt the automobile manufacturing company reportedly told its staff Wednesday, March 17 that it will be moving to a hybrid work schedule that will allow some workers to come into the office on some days and work from home (WFH) on others.

About 30,000 workers will be able to work from home indefinitely, with the addition of flexible hours approved by managers, says agency report.

Ford now joins several other major companies that have decided to extend work-from-home schedules, especially in view of the outbreak of the disruptive Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

ConsumerConnect had reported that Microsoft also told its employees back in October 2020, that it would be adopting a hybrid work schedule, and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that nearly half of the platform’s employees could be working remotely on a permanent basis within the next 10 years.

Kathleen Hogan, Chief People Officer of Microsoft, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged all of us to think, live, and work in new ways.”

On working from home after the pandemic, Ford’s decision is one that may become increasingly common in the US.

Meanwhile, a recent report by The Conference Board also suggests that employers are starting to come around to the idea of workers staying at home to reduce the amount of money spent on office space and other associated costs.

What does that mean for American workers? For one, it could allow them to move to new, more affordable areas of the country, according to report.

That shift could represent a tipping point that changes the economy and job market as we know it.

The Conference Board Chief Economist Dana Peterson stated: “If (working from home) trends hold, millions of workers may relocate over the next decade in search of lower living expenses and higher quality of life.

“As employees disperse beyond commuter zones, companies may find it increasingly difficult to reverse a decision to embrace remote work.”