SAP flexes: 102,000 employees can choose to work from home, office or remote

The pandemic impact on workstyles continues to reverberate through the tech industry, with SAP the latest company to announce changes to its work policies to give employees more flexibility. SAP is adopting a 100% flex work plan so that its 102,400 employees around the world can opt to work from home, at the office, or remotely.

Must-read leadership coverage

• Shark Tank’s Mr. Wonderful is Building the World’s Largest AI Data Center in Canada
• Why It’s Time to Rethink Your Device Strategy for the AI-Powered Workplace
• Why Snapdragon is Built for the Next Enterprise Frontier
• Sustainability Goals Are Set—So Why Aren’t They Being Met? Closing the IT Operations Gap

SAP’s executive team, including CEO Christian Klein, sent a letter to employees today that said, in part, “With the spirit of innovation, SAP continuously seeks and defines new ways of working for our customers and ourselves. This is part of our DNA. Now, with COVID-19 in its second year, we have the opportunity to define our future workstyle that can endure beyond the pandemic – and you’re at the center of it.”

SEE: COVID-19 workplace policy (TechRepublic Premium)

The decision was made due to employee responses to its Global Remote Work Pulse survey that employees filled out at the end of 2020. The letter to employees said, “Your feedback shows you’d like us to extend our hybrid work environment to allow for maximum flexibility going forward.”

The survey showed that among SAP employees:

• 94% of plan to take advantage of the flexibility provided
• 16% of prefer to work only remotely
• 49% plan to work in the office for one or two days per week
• Only 6% plan to work in the office for a full five days per week

SAP told its employees that it pledges to do the following:

• A 100% flexible and trust-based workplace as the norm, not the exception
• An inclusive environment in which people can work from home, at the office, or remotely—so everyone is empowered to run at their personal best while continuing to drive success for SAP’s customers
• Flexible work schedules, so employees can decide when they work aligned with SAP’s business needs
• Inspiring office designs tailored for creativity, collaboration, community, and focused work, enabling employees to find the right space for every task
• Office buildings that prioritize sustainability and health
• An approach that meets local regulations across the many regions where employees work

SEE: Wellness at work: How to support your team’s mental health (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

Testing new office concept

SAP has also been testing a new state-of-the-art office concept in its London, Sydney and Zurich locations, and it plans to roll this out more broadly after the pandemic.