Thomson Reuters Corp. is providing employees with additional flexibility and paid leave to further support well-being and work-life balance.
The media company is allowing employees to work from anywhere within their country of residence for up to eight weeks. In addition, employees can now take up to 10 paid days of caregiver leave, while bereavement leave has been increased to a maximum of 10 days for the loss of an immediate family member and three days for the loss of an extended family member.
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Mary Alice Vuicic, chief people officer at Thomson Reuters, says the new offerings are in response to calls for increased flexibility amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. “We’ve always listened to our employees and incorporated their feedback into evolving the employee experience. What we’ve heard loud and clear is that they want more flexibility. They appreciated the paid time off to deal with pandemic-related issues and we’ve now embedded that in our global benefits program.”
In 2021, the company introduced a second paid mental-health day and introduced a permanent hybrid working arrangement for all office-based employees. “During the pandemic, we looked at what segments of our workforce can be fully remote and we expanded that group,” says Vuicic. “There are some roles that need to spend some time in the office, but it’s not going to be formulaic and directed. We’re much more focused on working with team leaders to identify what works and we’re seeing regional and team differences.”
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The focus on flexibility is also helping the company retain and attract talent during what’s been dubbed the “Great Resignation,” she says. “Flexibility ranks very high in terms of what employees are looking for when considering staying at or joining an organization. We have a combination of flexible policies and a supportive culture. That’s helping differentiate us in the market.”