Through the pandemic, working from residence was the order of the day at Ericsson. However as workers 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 response to Jessica Nygren, vice chairman of the Swedish Affiliation of Graduate Engineers’ native department at Ericsson.
Now the corporate desires 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 tips to extend readability.”
“At this time, Ericsson has a hybrid guideline based mostly on the truth that we consider within the human encounter. We additionally consider that there needs to be a objective to the place a person or group chooses to work. This ends in an office-first mindset amongst managers and workers,” he stated by way of e mail.
Jessica Nygren describes the change very in another way.
“The choice got here very immediately, with out warning, which meant that many managers took it straight at their phrase. On daily basis we see horror examples the place managers state that workers ought to are available three days per week, full days. However it’s acknowledged 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 at all times given each supervisor, worker and group the chance to work in dialogue on how and the place they work greatest 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 like in observe, in response to the union.
“We additionally consider that the corporate wants a larger presence within the workplace — builders have to brainstorm to search out new merchandise going ahead — however no motive has been offered for us to make use of this specific mannequin.
Because it appears now, many are in a bind in response to Jessica Nygren. A number of the workers come from different areas the place Ericsson has beforehand had operations which have downsized or disappeared. They’ve then been supplied a place in Kista however have remained in Örebro or Gävle. Now they’re immediately required to commute 5, six hours a day, three days per week.
And after they arrive, the workplace could also be full already.
“When you’ve been commuting for a number of hours, you need an enough office: We’re imagined to be inside 60 p.c of the time, however there are solely seats for 50 p.c of the workers, so it’s important to puzzle. In some locations there may be quite a 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 automobile,” she says.
Not opposed
On the identical time, Jessica Nygren emphasizes that the union isn’t in opposition to extra folks coming into the workplace, however that it’s a course of that needs to be allowed to take a while and be higher tailored to totally different people.
“If we had been advised that they needed to extend the presence within the places of work, we’d have given the thumbs up. However then maybe they need to have introduced that it might 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 as we speak, it might be higher with “pull”.
Managers also needs to keep away from having a harsh coverage imposed on them and have the ability to determine what works of their specific work group, in response to Jessica Nygren — somebody could should be within the workplace for greater than three days whereas another person can work extra from residence.
From the union’s facet, nevertheless, they suppose they’ve 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 now, the staff don’t really feel secure and they don’t really feel welcome within the workplace in circumstances the place they’re squeezed by the brand new coverage,” says Jessica Nygren.
