Malaysian CEO Introduces Work From Home As A Permanent Option
"We defied all odds working well past two months virtually. Nothing stopping us from adopting flexibility permanently."
By Tamara Jayne — 13 May 2020, 01:09 PM
"Working from home is now a permanent option, not just a Movement Control Order (MCO) arrangement."
Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) group CEO Jalil Rasheed said that this is what his company will be implementing from now on.
Running one of the largest fund management companies in Malaysia, Jalil shared that they will be extending the flexibility to work from home for all of their employees.
"We defied all odds working well past two months virtually. Nothing stopping us from adopting flexibility permanently," he wrote in a series of tweets on 7 May, that has since gone viral.
Jalil was appointed last year and is 38 years old, making him the youngest PNB president and CEO, according to New Straits Times.
He explained that with this new option, most meetings will be a hybrid of virtual and in-person.
The flexitime will allow employees to choose the hours they want to work - as long as they deliver the work
"Nobody should be forced to choose work or family, you should be able to do both. And we will facilitate that, the PNB president added, revealing that their average staff age is 39 and many of them have school-going children.
"Key is trust, and keeping your boss and colleagues informed. And being reachable."
He added that many of their staff have thrived during this period and given him positive feedback about the new arrangement, with, of course, exceptions of a few.
"Some are dying to return to the office, which is understandable as working from home is not for everybody. Not every role can be done from home too like drivers, security, etc." So those who want to return to office will be welcomed to.
Would there be people who will abuse this? For sure. But policies should not be based on what small fraction of employees may do, but to see the bigger picture of positivity."
Jalil explained that to keep people from taking advantage of this initiative, they can deal with the "naughty ones on a piecemeal basis"
They plan to release guidelines and tips for their managers to learn how to manage remote or split teams and to answer any frequently asked questions.
Dedicated people will also be assigned for them to turn to if they have any queries.
In addition, Jalil revealed that staff will be equipped with technological hardware.
"In return, we expect the same deliverables as being in the office. And to use this flexibility wisely and correctly."
Employees will be required to download the MySejahtera app in case of any unfortunate incidents where they will need to contact trace.
