Kuoni commits to hybrid head office working

Hybrid working is being introduced by Kuoni for head office staff.

Staff will be free to choose to work from home, the office, or a mix of both from January 1.

There will be a commitment to work from the office up to three days each month for specific tasks, such as team meetings and training.

The flexible working initiative is designed to boost productivity, attract talent and support wellbeing, according to the operator.

Kuoni plans a soft re-opening of its head office in Dorking on October 11 providing staff with an early opportunity to try out the new approach.

The company said it does not want its Surrey location to limit applications for future roles.

Greater flexibility means better career progression for staff based in stores across the UK who may previously have been put off head office roles by having to relocate, according to Kuoni. It is also designed to attract the best external candidates.

Chief executive Derek Jones said: “Over the past year and a half the commitment of the team at Kuoni has been incredible. They have shown they can be just as engaged and productive whilst working at home as they are in the office.

“All the defining elements of our culture – trust, respect and dedication – remain as strong as ever, but we are also aware that many have missed working from the office and spending time with colleagues.

“As a board, we’ve spent a long time thinking about the unique opportunity that this Covid crisis has given us to completely rethink the way we work.

“We didn’t want to rush into re-opening our head office and simply return to how things used to be. We wanted a dynamic working style which retains many of the positive lifestyle aspects of home-working whilst maximising the benefit of our office workspace.

“This is about reinforcing our position as the market-leading employer in the travel sector, now and into the future.”

HR director Nicola Sadowski added: “We respect that everyone is different; different things motivate us individually and we thrive in different environments.

“We’ve briefed staff on our proposal and will be taking time to discuss it with them so we fine tune our guidelines, policies and communications ready to take effect in the new year.”

Related Articles

Dnata brands give away £5k and other prizes to travel agents

Carrier reports record-breaking trade sales for 2023

Inspiring Travel launches podcast to showcase luxury destinations