IBM has a justified reputation as a model employer, but the company does not intend to rest on its laurels, and yesterday it announced a whole string of new options to make working life more convenient and attractive for its 228,000 US employees. The new options are designed to assist employees in better balancing the […]
IBM has a justified reputation as a model employer, but the company does not intend to rest on its laurels, and yesterday it announced a whole string of new options to make working life more convenient and attractive for its 228,000 US employees. The new options are designed to assist employees in better balancing the – often conflicting demands – of career and family life. The options include an expansion of IBM’s personal leave of absence to three years – during which they continue to get IBM benefits while on leave and assurance of a job when they return. Employees on leave may elect to work part-time at IBM the first year and must be available to work part-time the second and third years depending on needs of the business. There is more freedom for employees to choose when they start or stop their work day starting up to an hour earlier or later than the normal start time at their location. IBM is also trying out two new programmes: one to prepare retiring employees for second careers as community service workers; the other to enable employees to work at home. The Community Service Career Programme will encourage retiring IBM employees to start a new career working for non-profit community-based organisations, and participants will get a portion of their IBM salary each year for two years in addition to their normal retirement benefits. The condition is that they secure paid, full-time positions in organisations addressing societal issues such as literacy, substance abuse, unemployment, AIDS, or promoting affirmative action. The Work at Home programme is for IBM employees on personal leave of absence who want to work part-time but cannot report regularly to their work location. This is of course open only to those whose work can be done at home, and they must still go in at least four consecutive hours a week.
