The UK’s largest tour operator Tui UK has announced it is move to permanent “flexible” working for the company’s staff.
Tui said it would offer “total flexibility for colleagues as it shifts to a permanent flexible working approach” and has created a new role of workspace director to implement this policy.
The move has been confirmed with England’s lockdown restrictions due to be lifted from Monday (19 July). Tui staff have been working flexibly, with the majority based at home, for the past 16 months during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Andrew Flintham, managing director of Tui UK and Ireland, said: “The pandemic has allowed us as an organisation to take a step back and make necessary changes to the way we work, communicate and collaborate.
“We believe that this move to a permanent flexible way of working will enhance our culture and organisational productivity, as well as allowing our people to have a great work life balance.”
Under the plans, Tui staff will only have to go to the office once a month for face-to-face team meetings or “collaboration” events. But Tui stressed that its offices will remain open for employees “to decide what working environment works for them”.
Belinda Vazquez has been appointed as Tui UK’s workspace director whose task will be to “define and implement a workspace strategy”.
“At Tui we embrace the concept that work is something we do, not somewhere we go,” said Vazquez.
“We have listened to our employees in order to define a clear framework that ensures ultimate flexibility, while creating positive experiences that enable all colleagues to feel like they belong and are valued”.