(Tiper Stock Exchange) – Vodafone Italy and the Unions they have signed a new agreement on smart working which identifies new forms of work flexibility and reconciles organizational and production needs with the work-life balance of employees.
The new deal it will enter into force on 6 February and will last for one year. For employees of the business and staff areas, the current model with weekly alternation is confirmed, which provides for two days of work at the headquarters and three days of smart working. For Call Center employees, the new model provides for a three-day weekly alternation in the company and two in smart working. Then there are six days of remote work that the collaborator can freely choose during the entire period of the agreement and the possibility for the parties to evaluate different modulations during the periods of collective closure and on public holidays. Further flexibility is envisaged: additional days of smart working that all workers can enjoy for reasons related to exceptional situations such as, for example, a red weather alert or public transport strike.
Taking into account the current economic and social context, Vodafone will recognize a one-off bonus worth 250 euros in welfare as forms of income support, to be used for the payment of energy bills, shopping vouchers and fuel vouchers.
Vodafone Italia was among the first companies in the sector to experiment with the smart working modeladopting the method of hybrid work already since 2013. With the advent of the pandemic, awareness has grown of the importance of hybrid working as an opportunity for empowerment, goal-oriented work, trust and strengthening the bond between company and employees. In November 2020 Vodafone reached an agreement on smart working with the union representatives, which paved the way for a new inclusive model of smart working.
Two years later, the socio-economic and health context has led Vodafone to identify a new balance between life and working times and organizational and production needs. The daily alternation within the same week between office work and remote work will allow all employees to protect the values of being present on site – in terms of mutual support and sharing of daily challenges – and to prevent phenomena of social isolation due to long periods of work away from company offices. To optimize the objectives of the two ways of working, part of the days planned remotely will be reserved for training.
The new agreement on smart working is part of a wider corporate welfare systemAnd confirms all the inclusion and support initiatives for the private and working lives of people at Vodafone. In particular, for people with disabilities or particular health conditions, caregivers, new parents, single parents and employees who are victims of domestic violence, it is possible to request a different modulation of the percentage of smart working, compatible with one’s personal needs.
To support this organizational transformation, Vodafone confirms the agreements with nursery schools and initiatives such as the counseling service on issues of psychological and organizational well-being. Treatments related to parenthood were also confirmed, in particular the Global Parental Leave (leave of up to 16 weeks paid at 100% of salary for employees who become parents following birth, adoption or surrogacy, in Italy or abroad and who cannot access the maternity treatment provided for by law. Inclusive parental leave can be used in the first 18 months from the moment in which the person becomes a parent).