Mumbai: What trends can be set among big corporates in India, Hindustan Unilever ,HUL) has introduced employment models challenging the traditional employer-employee dynamics.
In a first, the FMCG major has launched two models that offer flexible work arrangements with benefits to both existing employees and gig workers, who are associated with it but not on its payroll.
Under ‘U-Work’, HUL employees can choose to engage with the company in a flexible manner while availing financial security, retirement and medical benefits. The ‘Open2U’ model, introduced exclusively for India, allows gig workers, who are not employed with the company, to work on assignments and get a financial safety net and medical benefits.
U-Work comprises about 8,000 office-based HUL employees. While employees can apply to be part of U-Work, the final decision is based on mutual agreement between the company and the employee.
The two models will work under a comprehensive thought process of offering flexible ways of working, which the company calls ‘flexi-curity’. HUL Executive Director (HR) Anuradha Rajdani told TOI, “During the pandemic, many people are introspecting what they want out of life and are keen to get new and more personalized work experiences. Through ‘flexi-curity’, we are giving opportunities to this rich talent Want to provide. Pool that doesn’t force trade-offs between flexibility and security. People want flexibility in when and how they want to work. Plus, they want structured pay and security of benefits Flexi-curity serves that purpose.”
India is one of the major markets where Unilever has launched U-Work. Under this, an employee has to work six weeks in a year. Initially, the percentage of employees working on flexibility basis is expected to be low. But in the long term, the ratio could be 80:20, where 80% would be in the fixed or full-time workforce, while the rest could be in flexible brackets.
Abhijito commenting on HUL’s move Bhaduri, an executive coach said, “The traditional 40-40-40 model of employment has been challenged. People worked 40 hours per week for 40 weeks (approximately) per year and 40 years of their lives. This is a prototype is the hybrid workplace for the future.”
As 2021 sees the ‘great resignation’, Bhaduri said, “Millennials want to travel, study and work on a variety of projects. Some veterans want to slow down without losing access to financial security. Young parents And caregivers have had to take career breaks to care for their loved ones. Rather than lose out on this talent pool, Unilever maintains access to them through a Flex arrangement. Permanent workers can come into the office for a few days And the rest can work from any other place.”
There may be other organizations that can challenge the traditional status quo as they also benefit from such arrangements. “As an organization, we stand to gain access to highly skilled talent across diverse groups, who can work with us in future priority areas. Flexibility, to retain and engage talent in the future Will be important,” Razdan said.
In a first, the FMCG major has launched two models that offer flexible work arrangements with benefits to both existing employees and gig workers, who are associated with it but not on its payroll.
Under ‘U-Work’, HUL employees can choose to engage with the company in a flexible manner while availing financial security, retirement and medical benefits. The ‘Open2U’ model, introduced exclusively for India, allows gig workers, who are not employed with the company, to work on assignments and get a financial safety net and medical benefits.
U-Work comprises about 8,000 office-based HUL employees. While employees can apply to be part of U-Work, the final decision is based on mutual agreement between the company and the employee.
The two models will work under a comprehensive thought process of offering flexible ways of working, which the company calls ‘flexi-curity’. HUL Executive Director (HR) Anuradha Rajdani told TOI, “During the pandemic, many people are introspecting what they want out of life and are keen to get new and more personalized work experiences. Through ‘flexi-curity’, we are giving opportunities to this rich talent Want to provide. Pool that doesn’t force trade-offs between flexibility and security. People want flexibility in when and how they want to work. Plus, they want structured pay and security of benefits Flexi-curity serves that purpose.”
India is one of the major markets where Unilever has launched U-Work. Under this, an employee has to work six weeks in a year. Initially, the percentage of employees working on flexibility basis is expected to be low. But in the long term, the ratio could be 80:20, where 80% would be in the fixed or full-time workforce, while the rest could be in flexible brackets.
Abhijito commenting on HUL’s move Bhaduri, an executive coach said, “The traditional 40-40-40 model of employment has been challenged. People worked 40 hours per week for 40 weeks (approximately) per year and 40 years of their lives. This is a prototype is the hybrid workplace for the future.”
As 2021 sees the ‘great resignation’, Bhaduri said, “Millennials want to travel, study and work on a variety of projects. Some veterans want to slow down without losing access to financial security. Young parents And caregivers have had to take career breaks to care for their loved ones. Rather than lose out on this talent pool, Unilever maintains access to them through a Flex arrangement. Permanent workers can come into the office for a few days And the rest can work from any other place.”
There may be other organizations that can challenge the traditional status quo as they also benefit from such arrangements. “As an organization, we stand to gain access to highly skilled talent across diverse groups, who can work with us in future priority areas. Flexibility, to retain and engage talent in the future Will be important,” Razdan said.
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