About
Maybank's remote working policy - embracing future of work.
Innovation presentation
The greatest collateral effect from the pandemic is the acceleration of remote work.
We remain guided by our mission to Humanise Financial Services no matter what the circumstances are. In doing so, our people, customers as well as our communities’ best interests continue to be at the forefront of everything we do. For us at Maybank, we realise that this is an opportunity to explore new ways of working to future-proof as much as possible from the rapid disruption throughout the pandemic and beyond, ensuring our resilience and agility to learn and adapt remain intact.
Our Hybrid Work Model charged by Mobile Work sets the course in designing the Future of Work, Workforce and Workplace.
Our flex journey started in 2013 – we have always been at the forefront of innovation, in the way we do business, the way we look for opportunities to effect fundamental positive change, creating value for our employees, customers and communities. In 2013, we formalized Flexible Work Arrangement (FWA) policy (with over 3,000 employees on our flexible work arrangement for some years now) to help employees achieve work-life integration whilst boosting quality performance. Our FWA covers the flexibility of staggered hours, individualized start and end times of each work day, telecommuting and reduced work hours.
Our FWA’s evolvement was then accelerated by the pandemic to a more robust work arrangement – our remote working policy, Mobile Work Arrangement. Mobile Work enables employees to rethink how work is done and how work is not just anchored at one place. It is more than just a remote work policy. It is designed to propel the Bank further as we design the future of work, workforce and workplace.
Our journey started from March 2020 when the first MCO started and we did our first WFH survey up until our phased implementation in September – December 2020. During MCO, with intense facilitation, we even reached 82% of our Malaysian workforce working from home from the initial 80% on-site. We then identified selected Maybank Malaysia employees to go on Mobile Work Arrangement on a permanent or longer-term basis for jobs/roles that can be done from home.
Our vision is to build a Hybrid World with mobility in mind and it comprises of employees who work remotely and those who work from office and alternate sites (satellite offices). This way, employees can have better flexibility in their schedules and work locations, either on-site or home.
Since day one, we have been driven by our mission to humanise the role of financial services – to put the wellbeing of people at the heart of our services and business, to drive positive change and promote sustainable growth for every facet of the communities that we operate in.
Our remote working policy is in line with our journey towards M25 goals. The M25 Group Framework will guide the next five years’ strategy, steered by the Group Strategic Priorities of being Pervasively Digital, building New Value Drivers and driving Sustainability forward, to achieve Sustainable ROE.
Part of our M25 plans include transforming our people and workplace by empowering our systems, policies and processes that support mobile workforce and agility. We also wish to work towards workforce capabilities powered by new digital skills and rethinking models. Below are the three (3) key thrusts under our M25 Group Framework:
1. Workplace Futurisation: Accelerating development & productivity of our Talent to better respond to changing customer demands and needs.
2. Workforce Futurisation: Institutionalising new ways of working by seamlessly integrating talent and digitalization at all levels.
3. FutureReady Infrastructure: Innovative platforms, processes & tools enable us to have better insight and create better solutions for our customers.
Among other objectives, Mobile Work was designed with achieving Sustainability in mind. We aim to create a safe environment that protects our employees, customers, and communities alike, as we acknowledge that safety is truly a foundation for sustainable growth. We also wish to embark on a journey towards being carbon neutral by 2030 by reducing our carbon emissions. Remote working reduces the need for high-carbon activities such as air travel and commuting to work by car.
Our aim is to achieve the target of having 20% Flex Workforce across the Group of 42,000 employees by 2025. As of mid-2021, we have about 7,000 Flex Workforce which is 17% across the Group – so close to reaching our target. Ultimately, Mobile Work is defined by the following principles:
1. A remote-first mentality with and for business continuity management.
2. A flexible, agile and open workforce & workplace to remain competitive and relevant.
3. A strong infrastructure through innovative platforms and policies and systems to enable and liberate employees to be and perform their best.
Uniqueness of the project
Mobile Work is about how we think about work – where work is not anchored at one place and time, but very much focused on outcomes.
The financial services industry has always known to be on premise – and the conventional way of working is to get work done in the office. Traditionally too, the Bank’s systems and technology are largely centred on the premise – where regulatory and compliance rules only allow work to be done in the office. With all these in mind, we acknowledge that we are still progressing to build a better infrastructure, process and prepare the readiness of our people for the future of work.
We acknowledge that we are still progressing to build a better infrastructure, process and prepare the readiness of our people for the future of work. And this is exactly what we want to focus with Mobile Work.
The entire Mobile Work journey did not happen by chance and is definitely not meant just for the pandemic. We continue to learn, experiment, pivot and strengthen our people policies with employees in our mind and heart.
Mobile Work Arrangement is definitely not just a remote work policy but all within the lives and livelihoods of our #HumanisingWorkplace.
Overview of Mobile Work:
• Location
o Based at Home and Office.
o Comes in the office on a fixed schedule agreed with Line Managers (this is referred to as the Management Model).
• Time
o Self-managed time in regular working hours with agreed Management Model.
o Minimum physical check-in once a week.
• Output
o Weekly performance updates on Conversation Log (where employees can update their weekly deliverables) and scheduled physical/virtual check-ins.
o A mix of Tools for productivity and collaboration.
Key Aspects of Mobile Work:
• Identification
o Position-led – identification starts from position (should and can be done from home) and also in consideration of *pre-requisites.
o *Pre-requisites – Individuals must have the right tools, access, conducive environment and attributes to work remotely.
• Governance
o Online – must be available during core working hours and within 2 hours from the office.
o Management Model – Agreed performance expectations and Management Model. Mandatory physical check-in using a fixed schedule by Line Manager.
• Expectation
o Same expectations but different location – must be able to carry out the same duties at home.
o Productivity – Productivity measures captured and updated via our myHR2u (Conversation Log) weekly
• Security
o Reminders for employees to take reasonable measures to ensure data is treated with adequate regard for data protection, confidentiality and security measures.
Our Key Design Principles for Mobile Work is put in place to ensure that mobile employees are holistically supported while on this work arrangement. The principles include:
1. The acknowledgement that remote working is not for everyone. We welcome the fact that people are motivated in different ways and settings – and this is clearly aligned to our Diversity, Equity & Inclusivity (DEI) principles in ensuring equal gender participation and no discrimination. No employees are better off either working from home or in the office.
2. A Management Model that works. An agreement for preferred schedule on the number of days’ employees work from home vs the office.
3. An employee’s choice. Despite roles can be done remotely, WFH (work from home) is not imposed on employees. For this arrangement to work, employees have to prefer WFH after various consideration beyond work such as home conduciveness, home office set-up, child care.
4. Handrails & governance to guide employees in this new hybrid reality.
a. Conversations & agreement between all parties (Line Managers and team members).
b. Formalisation of work arrangement through issuance of Mobile Work letter.
c. Customer Experience (CX) Managers to provide support throughout the journey.
d. Mandatory onboarding sessions.
e. Clear expectations and outcomes – employees may be called back to the office to support operations, assignments, engagements and other work activities with prior notice (to remain 2 hours from the office).
f. Continuous review: Work arrangement is continuously reviewed (mandatory every six (6) months or lesser should there be any request).
5. Flexible but Consistent Engagement.
a. Meaningful informal interactions to enable employees to connect – water-cooler conversations and corridor chats. Available platform, avenues and programmes to enable teams to stay connected through our Happy Zooms, Noon talks, Music Jams and other engagements connecting our employees on-site and from homes.
6. Frequent check-ins – Maybankers are encourages to have frequent work/non-work-related conversations with their teams.
7. Continuous and open platform for our communication. Continuous communication and engagement via open channels with EXCOs, Senior Management and working teams through virtual ‘walk-abouts’/roadshows, LTL (Leader-to-Leader) sessions, Conversation series, MGIP, hybrid Townhalls, M25 sessions, support groups, circles and so forth. We involve employees as part of the strategizing & change with feedback through these forums.
8. Learning Tools. We incorporate ‘listening tools’ to allow employees to be safe to speak up. Tools and platforms include the pulse surveys, Employee Engagement Survey, GHC Contact Centre, Staff Emergency Support (SES) and Mental Health First Aiders.
9. Enablement and home conduciveness remain as pre-requisites. To ensure employees are enabled to be working from home and are comfortable as they would be in the office.
Mobile Work was designed with achieving Sustainability in mind. We aim to create a safe environment that protects our employees, customers, and communities alike, as we acknowledge that safety is truly a foundation for sustainable growth. We also wish to embark on a journey towards being carbon neutral by 2030 by reducing our carbon emissions. Remote working reduces the need for high-carbon activities such as air travel and commuting to work by car.
In terms of support, under #HumanisingWorkplace, we readjusted our lenses to focus better on the safety and holistic wellbeing of employees since 2020 and we continue to redefine employee experience as we transition to the Next Normal. Ultimately, we wish to foster a true #HumanisingWorkplace that prioritises employees and wellbeing – anchored on 5 key areas to enable our employees to thrive working remotely. #HumanisingWorkplace broadly encapsulates the 5 core areas of our employee wellbeing – Physical, Mental, Emotional, Financial and Performance.
Physical: Inculcate a healthy and improved wellness. Biological and physical needs including environmental wellbeing, physical nourishments, physical comfort and physical fitness.
Emotional: Being resilient, positive and focused. Inculcate a flourishing and psychological safe environment that thrives on Trust, Respect, Grit, Grace and Openness.
Financial: Has financial knowledge, security, support and sound management of personal finances.
Mental: Cognitive well-being. A state of well-being and having a positive sense of how we feel, think and act.
Performance: Delivering world-class results and building leaders for tomorrow.
But how do we truly enable our Mobile Work framework?
1. Secured environment
a. Examples of digital and technical enabler include web cam enabled laptop, remote work security access, Zoom IT support for mobile employees, cloud storage, secured home working space, home office furniture.
b. Parking space – spaces allocated for mobile employees who are required to be at the office from time to time – reserved and subject to availability.
2. High speed internet access
a. Providing subsidised internet, remote work access such as MWork, SConnect and VPN to ensure our employees can access files at their fingertips from home. We also provided a one-off laptops contribution to enable employees’ children continue schooling through online learning, under the current pandemic. This support is inclusive of data connectivity subsidy of RM50/month for a period of 1 year.
3. Financing option – Staff Mobile Loan
a. Interest-free staff loan of up to RM10,000 with loan tenure at 24 months. Since implementation, we have supported Maybankers with total loan amount close to RM290,000.
4. Flexible Benefits
a. Expanded existing benefits to allow home office expenses to be included.
5. COVID-19 support
a. Deliver oximeters to employees’ home – to cater to employees who are COVID-19 positive who are quarantining at home, all across Malaysia.
b. PPEs & face masks available for employees who work on-site.
c. Group Human Capital Staff Emergency Support (GHC SES) as a single point of enablement and support contact for all employees, in relation to COVID-19. This helpline is now accessible for Maybankers to cater to all types of enquiries and support.
d. Staff Financial Relief Scheme – introduced to assist with temporary deferral of loans through moratorium and financing obligations.
6. Home Office Integration
a. Assistance to set up home office through OSH Advisory and interest-free Staff Mobile Loan. Our OSH team supports our employees by advising on their home office setup.
7. Amplify our skilling factory to be anytime, anywhere
a. We kicked off #LearningNeverStops, running weekly to help employees stay focused on positivity and productivity, in addition to sustaining their upskilling and reskilling efforts during MCO. It is a go-to platform to access educational insights and a wide choice of capability-building programs delivered by industry and internal subject-matter experts.
b. Fun Fact: In the first month of Learning Never Stops campaign, over 20,000 unique learners recorded for all modules.
8. Enhancing our workforce management
a. Web check-in: Through this platform, employees can update their working location & book slots in the office. More than just for monitoring employee’s movement into the office and from home, will support our effort in managing the workforce efficiently (i.e., having an overview of the workforce working locations and arranging the workforce for safety and business continuity purposes).
b. Fun Fact: Since we rolled out Web Check-in, there are about 2,000 weekly users.
9. Employees’ wellbeing remains our top-priority
a. We kicked off various online challenges and pledges – since the first MCO such as Maybank group 7-Minute Home Workout Challenge, #AcingtheNewNormal Challenge, #MaybankersWFHChallenge and many others. These challenges are designed as we acknowledge that it is a new experience for some and that it is crucial that our employees feel supported throughout this journey.
b. Our Mental Well-being Outreach Programme is also put in place where department representatives can request for customised mental well-being sessions. External mental well-being outreach sessions are also organised as part of our community outreach initiatives.
