Advances in vaccination encourage large companies to return to work head-on

Face-to-face business, even in a hybrid fashion, has become a reality at large companies like Luiza Magazine since August of last year. With the exponential growth of the company, many functions and meetings had to be attended in person, including at the headquarters, Arena Magalu, in the north of São Paulo. Now, with the progress of vaccination, the frequency of vaccination at headquarters is increasing week by week.

A KPMG survey conducted between July and August indicates that 52% of companies intend to return to operations this year.

Magalu devised a remarkable scheme to avoid contamination of her collaborators. There, those who chose the stand-off system needed to take a weekly PCR test, funded by Magalu. According to the retailer, the office is reaching 60% of its maximum capacity daily.

At the headquarters, everyone must wear masks and adhere to the recommended distance. “Our team missed the flexibility that conversation and exchange provide to solve problems,” says Patricia Bogas, director of people management at Magalu.

In addition to the retailer, many companies have begun to resume in-person business as immunization has progressed. Last week, the country crossed the mark of 100 million people who have been vaccinated.

they change

In the previous KPMG survey, conducted between March and April, the rate was 39%. The remaining 48% believe that the return to normal life, even partial, will not take place until next year. The trend is positive. Returning to the office has become more of a rule than an exception. One of the things we have for sure is that the hybrid model is here to stay, says Roberto Gomez, principal partner at KPMG.

However, there are companies that are returning to what they were before. According to a KPMG survey, 15% of companies surveyed should not maintain the home office scheme. The developer of Viver is one of them. She actually works with almost all of the employees in person, five days a week.

The exception is who is from the risk group. According to the president, Riccardo Piccinini, the employees themselves wanted to return, and as the company puts new projects on its feet, work face-to-face is more productive. “The process was done gradually, starting with the managers all the way to all the employees,” he says. The executive claims he never forced anyone to vaccinate, but all 120 employees took one or two doses of the immunizing agent.

There are still a few companies that openly admit that they will force employees to vaccinate, something that has become commonplace in the United States, especially among “big tech companies”. Simpress is one of them. To monitor employee vaccinations, the company has created an application. In the system, the employee can attach proof of vaccination and request that it be returned in person.

After introducing a hybrid model in the first quarter, Simpress now has 67% of the workforce working in the office. Three days a week, everyone works at headquarters, and in others, from home. As vaccination progresses, Simpress expects to reach 100% of staff in the office by December.