Food and beverage giant PepsiCo on Monday shared plans for a new corporate policy embracing remote work flexibility — led by shifting half of its office staff to working from home permanently.
PepsiCo says that under its new "Work that Works" program, there will be no default, day-to-day workplace for employees in its headquarters locations.
Office associates, along with their managers, will choose what work can be done remotely and what needs to be done in person, while decisions about the best ways of working will be based on roles, daily activities and team dynamics.
PepsiCo pointed to studies showing that flexible work boosted engagement, work-life balance and all-around well-being, as well as created positive environmental impacts that will fuel the company’s performance and sustainability goals. PepsiCo noted that employers that offer flexible work see a 15% increase in productivity, 31% less absenteeism and 10% less turnover.
The Work that Works program will also let PepsiCo scale down its real estate footprint by 15%, which it says will lead to less waste and lower energy use. The company said that roughly 50% of its office staff will work remotely at any given time, and that for every 100 employees who work from home twice a week, it will save 70 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
The company says the move will also help it gain access to a wider talent pool that values being able to work from home at least part of the time.
Technology will aid PepsiCo workers whether they’re in the office or not. Associates can reserve a workspace or meeting room via a mobile app, while occupancy sensors and integrated meeting technology will assist in scheduling meetings between in-person and virtual groups. Office analytics will also boost collaboration.
