GM’s simple message to employees about returning to work: “Work properly”

DETROIT – General Motors takes a surprisingly simple approach to its return to work strategy for employees: “Work properly”.

This is the message sent on Tuesday by CEO Mary Barra and other GM leaders about how the carmaker intends to reintegrate its 155,000 global employees into a post-vaccine world. It is a flexible, evolving policy that will differ depending on the employee, week and project, according to the directors.

It could mean more distance learning for GM’s 87,000 hourly workers, whose jobs require them to be at the company’s production facilities. Or it could mean allowing an employee to work permanently from home or run a hybrid program from the office and remotely.

“It’s not a one-size-fits-all policy or approach,” Laura Jones, GM’s global director of talent, told reporters this week. “But really that evolution of our culture for everyone.”

The decision to create such a program followed the feedback of employees, many of whom worked remotely for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic. GM has conducted several surveys on how and where employees would prefer to work in the future, officials said.

GM’s remote work plan is a game off of the company’s simplified dress code, which Barra initiated while leading human resources from 2009-2011. She replaced a 10-page dress code policy with two words: “Dress appropriately.”

Such flexible and ambiguous policies are meant to empower GM leaders to take responsibility for their departments and employees. GM recently held 52 workshops for 1,100 company leaders to present their remote work initiative, according to officials. Each leader will work with his or her employees to determine what an appropriate work schedule is.

“The teachings and successes of the past year have led us to present how we will manage the future of GM’s work, called ‘Work Properly.’ This means that where work allows, employees have the flexibility to work where they can have the greatest impact on achieving our goals, “Barra said in a LinkedIn post on Tuesday.

GM declined to estimate how much it could save office costs as a result of the new initiative. Managers also declined to predict how many employees are expected to stay away. Jones said having such an estimate would go “against the philosophy” of the initiative.

GM’s strategy comes a month after Ford Motor said it would launch a hybrid work program that gives unproductive employees more flexibility when it comes to the office.

GM believes its new policy, which it calls a “mindset,” will help recruit new employees, some of whom will not work in traditional GM locations.

Allowing such flexibility has already boosted recruitment during the coronavirus pandemic, according to Cyril George, GM’s global director of talent acquisition.

“In terms of recruitment, it has significantly opened up the talent pool for us,” he said, calling it “a truly liberating aspect” for employment.

George said the company hired more new employees in the US in the first quarter of 2021 than in 2020 and 2019 combined. About 20 percent of the 3,300 new jobs are completely remote, he said.

GM declined to provide an update on when employees working remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic will return to the office. The company previously confirmed a target in June or July, but said it would rely on local regulations on Covid-19.

Only about 25% of GM’s non-productive employees globally work in physical locations, according to a company spokesman.