Canva has made a long-term commitment to a flexible working model for its employees, following fellow Australian tech Atlassian in embracing remote working.
The company called the change part of its “long-term approach to the future of work,” in which it will focus on flexibility and connection and abolish any formal rules about office presence.
In an announcement released Tuesday, the company said it will not have strict requirements for the number of days spent in presence in an office, but will instead allow teams to decide the number of days employees should attend work in person or in. smart working.
The presence? A matter of spirit
Canva said the decision followed internal research, including a survey showing that 79% of its teams say they feel productive working from home, with 81% who say they want to continue balancing in-person work with remote work.
In practice, the company's new policy will not set strict requirements for balancing physical and remote work.
In presence? Minimum 8 times a year
The weight of face-to-face work does not escape even companies like Canva, however. It's just balanced differently. Very differently.
The company said to expect to see employees appear in their “nearest Canva hub” at least eight times a year. The global approach to team building will also be rethought to adapt to the new weight given to in-person work.
A “Meeting Free Wednesday” will be introduced for the entire company, a Wednesday in which you will be free to be in person or remotely. And we are also thinking about work benefits that extend outside the office.
Traditional workplaces will become the exception
“We believe traditional workplaces will become the exception when it comes to the future of work,” Canva said, adding that the pandemic has “disproved the idea that collaboration is best in person or in a specific location.”
In late April, the Australian tech giant Atlassian announced a remote work policy which would allow its global staff of 5.700 people to work from anywhere in the world.
As part of its reinvented approach to flexible working, employees are expected to visit the company's offices in person four times a year to attend global summits, but can otherwise design their own approach to being in the office.
Initial internal surveys found that around 50% of employees intend to continue to go to the office regularly.
It is a global change
Canva and Atlassian show that these company policy changes not only reflect the overall approach, but signal a change in the flexibility that employees themselves expect in doing their jobs.
Of course, these are avant-garde: Canva is a startup that is based on remote design and has had strong increases due to the lockdown, but one thing is certain: the presence in the workplace will be re-discussed worldwide.
