UK: OYO has announced a ‘Work from Anywhere’ initiative for its UK team members, allowing its OYOpreneurs to work from home, from OYO’s hub office, or from a public space such as a cafe.
The initiative was announced to OYO UK employees at the start of September.
OYO will support the initial set-up costs up to the value of £100 (for example, buying a new chair or headset), and will contribute £30 per month towards any hobby or interest its team members decide to pursue outside of work.
OYO’s UK employees have been working from home since late March in line with government guidance. Prior to this however, its workforce was spread across a number of regional hub offices and so remote collaboration, cloud-based services and tech-enabled communications have always been part of the company’s fabric.
Dan Godfrey, VP of HR for OYO UK and Europe, explains: “The past few months have shown us that employee productivity and efficiency is driven by more than just actual physical presence, so with the safety and wellbeing of our colleagues in mind, we are pleased to introduce the ‘Work from Anywhere’ initiative to suit the evolving needs of the team. We recognise that a conducive working environment is not the same for every individual, so as well as offering the choice on where to work, we are providing tips and tools for our team members to create their own inspiring workspace.”
Since its OYOpreneurs began working from home, the company encouraged flexible working patterns and provided advice on balancing the working day to the correct seating posture and desk-based stretching exercises.
“Flexibility is key to the ‘Work from Anywhere’ initiative, so we are not setting a policy on where our colleagues must work or asking them to declare their long-term intentions,” said Rishabh Gupta, head of OYO UK and Europe. “Some may wish to conduct important meetings or zoom calls from an office environment but work from home on other days to fit around childcare. We are offering OYOpreneurs complete freedom to make choices and change their minds as they go.”
OYO partners with independently-owned, small and mid-sized hotels to provide services including technology, revenue management, customer management services and brand. Its portfolio comprises more than 43,000 hotels with over one million rooms.
