How strong company values helped us navigate the COVID-19 pandemic

Aug 27, 2020

The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic has not only had serious health implications around the world, but has had a huge impact on the economy. In an extremely short space of time, many companies and employees were forced to adapt to remote working procedures. With around 60% of the workforce in several European countries suddenly required to work from home, many companies were forced to implement flexible working, whether that aligned with their corporate culture or not.


A new report, ‘The Future of Workplace’, shows that in the UK, while people have been as productive as they were before the crisis, the lack of face-to-face contact is taking its toll.


Despite this, the study found that 73% of respondents believed their company should embrace some level of working from home after the pandemic.[2]


You can read more about the future of work and office spaces in our recent blog post. NEED TO LINK



Benefits of adapting flexible working practices 


As part of a programme for a recent CIPD paper[3], during their three-month flexible working trial, one organisation saw a 30% increase in productivity and a 60% decrease in sickness absence. 


That’s not to mention the benefits for the environment. It has also been reported[4] that in the US, 54 Million tons of greenhouse gas could be reduced each year if those with remote compatible jobs worked at home half the time (equivalent to taking 10m cars off the road).


Before the pandemic, it is estimated that 61% of global companies offered their employees some sort of flexible working[5]. However, although employees in the UK have a statutory right to request flexible working, prior to Covid-19 under 5% of its 33 million workers mainly worked from home, and in Germany the number is only slightly higher. In Europe, working from home is much more common in the Netherlands and Finland which are both above 13% of the population.

31% of people said that the pandemic was the trigger to begin allowing remote work at their company[6].


Despite the various benefits, in many cases senior staff remain unwilling to take a truly flexible approach on a more permanent basis. This seems to be even more true in companies with an older generation of senior staff, where office culture is seen as the norm. Those companies with a younger workforce are seeing millennials demand more of their employers, requesting flexible working as they seek a better balance, with many of them moving out of big cities for a different way of life.



Due to this reluctance to change, when the pandemic hit, many companies weren’t equipped with the internal processes, autonomous culture, or the IT infrastructure to fully support their staff working from home.


One paper[7] reported that 54% of HR leaders indicated
that poor technology and/or infrastructure for remote working is the biggest barrier to effective remote working
in their organisation.

It can be extremely difficult to change mindsets around productivity and trust. While many companies might consider the benefits of working from location other than the office, they do not consider flexible hours and working patterns which might be necessary to facilitate a more productive team.

 

The term flexible working is used to cover a wide range of working arrangements, including (but not limited to): part-time working, job-sharing, flexitime, compressed hours, annualised hours and term-time-only working, working from home, and mobile working.



Flexible and female-lead


When Dr Birgit Memminger-Rieve started EnviroSustain in 2001, she was very clear in her vision for the company.


“At the time that we started out with EnviroSustain, it was unusual to have a workforce that was afforded so much flexibility in the way they work. I was keen from the start to allow my staff the choice not only in their location, but also their working hours, to allow them a better work-life balance. Over the years, we have built a team that are experts in their field and highly satisfied with how we treat them as a valued employee. We have a head office in Berlin where 55% of employees are based, but we also have staff that work from six other areas (Flensburg, Kassel, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Ravensburg, and Munich) of Germany as well as Barcelona and the UK.”


“When the lockdown hit Germany and the UK in March, our already well-established flexible working practices allowed the team to adapt quickly, with client work not being impacted. The added stress for working parents when the schools closed, was mitigated by the fact that we have always had family-friendly practices at the heart of our approach to work.


As a working mother myself, who also happens to be a business leader, it was important to me to create a culture of accountability, where the staff knew that they are trusted to deliver their work in an autonomous way. We allow the team the flexibility to work around their life, and measure performance not based on the hours we see them in the office, but in the outputs in their work.”


Peakon[7], a real-time HR insights platform found that employees at women-led companies seem to enjoy more autonomy and are specifically more satisfied with work-from-home policies when compared to male-led companies. 


This approach has led to a more sustainable and resilient way of working at EnviroSustain and allowed us to remain on top of our work and fulfilling client expectations during the pandemic. 



Flexible working as the norm, not a privilege


It is important to note that this way of working may not suit everyone, or every role and despite outside pressures, culture change cannot take place overnight. However, the benefits far outweigh any negatives. 


According to the German Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS), 40% of Germans would like to continue to work from home at least occasionally after the pandemic and the “COVID-19 Remote Working Survey”[8] found that 91% of the UK working population would like to continue working from home at least one day a week after the pandemic. 


The world of work is changing, and with many companies having decided to reduce their office space even once social distancing rules are relaxed, the move to remote working will begin in earnest. A truly flexible approach will not only provide you with a happier, healthier and more productive workforce, but with a business that attracts and retains the best talent, giving you a competitive advantage.

Navigating the transition to remote and flexible working


An insightful and detailed CIPD report[3], published last year sets out ten key recommendations for organisations that are considering implementing flexible working:


  1. Clarify the benefits of flexible working to the organisation and to individuals.
  2. Find the compelling hook or business imperative that will gain traction in the organisation.
  3. Communicate to dispel myths around what flexible working is and who it is for, share successes and build communities.
  4. Find creative ways to encourage a range of flexible working practices for all employees – both in terms of innovative flexible working initiatives and creative ways to build flexibility into job roles that have not traditionally been seen as suitable for flexible working.
  5. Aim to hire flexibly and design the jobs to suit the flexible pattern (that is, full-time jobs are not squeezed into part-time hours).
  6. Ensure ongoing access to development and career conversations for flexible workers.
  7. Set the organisational context and consider organisational facilitators and barriers, including creating a supportive organisational culture, underpinned by leadership and HR support.
  8. Gain manager buy-in through communicating benefits and sharing success stories and providing support and guidance.
  9. Consider the facilitators and barriers at manager, team and individual levels.
  10. Measure and evaluate flexible working and learn from trials using quantitative and qualitative measures.

Rewilding Oder Delta: A sustainable hub for local rewilding

by Sam Wheeler • 19 Apr, 2024
Cover Image credits: Sophie Monsarrat | Rewilding Europe

Managing physical climate risks

by Anna Höfer • 25 Mar, 2024
While many companies are already taking comprehensive measures to minimise the effects of climate change as far as possible, it is also true that climate change is inevitable in the near and distant future. This has already become noticeable in large parts of Germany with an increase in extreme weather events such as the flood disaster in the Ahr valley in 2021, numerous hot summers in recent years, or the constant rain and flooding at the beginning of this year. Companies should therefore address the risks that could arise from climate change and the associated increase in extreme weather events, for example at their different sites, as early as possible.

GBCI Circle 2024: Meet us in Athens

by Samantha Wheeler • 26 Feb, 2024
Registration is now open for the GBCI Circle event for 2024. You can register here. EnviroSustain is proud to once again be a sponsor of this event which will be held in Athens, Greece. The event will run from the 17-19 April and the three days will be packed with a welcome reception, sustainable building tours, experiences, and learning sessions. After such a great experience last year in Barcelona , we can’t wait to travel with the team again. As we avoid air travel as part of our ESG Policy, the ES team will be travelling to Athens by land and sea over the course of two days! This involves the night train from Munich to Roma (or alternatively to Bologna), train to Bari, then the ferry overnight from Bari to Patras and to finish the bus to Athens. We look forward to sharing our journey with you on social media. GBCI Circle is designed to provide networking opportunities and education sessions for Europe's LEED consultants, property owners and managers, building experts and consultants and all of those interested in sustainability within real estate. The 2024 program focuses on the future of Healthy Human Habitat Venues include The Piraeus Tower (pursuing LEED Platinum and WELL certification), The Lighthouse (LEED Platinum), The Ellinikon (pursuing LEED, WELL and SITES), The National Gallery of Art (2 x LEED Silver certifications).

GRESB Changes 2024

by Samantha Wheeler • 15 Feb, 2024
With the start of a new year comes the beginning of a new GRESB reporting period. EnviroSustain has been supporting clients with GRESB submissions for almost a decade now and we are pleased to see participation growing. The GRESB portal will open on 1st April but now is the time to begin prepping your team and collecting data. As ESG reporting gains more momentum in the mainstream, changes are needed to keep up with current developments. The Real Estate and Infrastructure Standards Committee works to gather feedback and make recommendations on changes to the GRESB Foundation Board.

New year opportunities: ESG Trends 2024

by Anna Höfer • 28 Jan, 2024
The annual Global Risk Report published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) presents a comprehensive analysis of current global challenges. In its report published in January of this year, the WEF warns of a "foreseen duo of dangerous crises", referring to the duality of climate and conflict-related challenges. Respondents from academia, business, government, the international community and civil society see climate change-related risks in particular as a key global challenge in the long term. According to the survey, the four most highly rated risks over the next 10 years are: extreme weather events, critical changes to earth systems, loss of biodiversity and the collapse of ecosystems. In addition, current crises and conflicts such as inflation, the war in Ukraine and the conflict between Israel and Palestine make many respondents pessimistic about the coming years. If implemented consistently, ESG guidelines can help to reduce the negative impact of companies on the environment and thus mitigate climate change-related risks by creating a sustainable business environment. In 2024, numerous new EU regulations will come into force to make ESG reporting more transparent and standardised. The aim is to oblige companies to be more transparent and accountable with regard to their environmental impact.

Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD)

by Samantha Wheeler • 22 Jan, 2024
We are all increasingly aware of the pressing need for environmental sustainability and as biodiversity disclosures gain momentum , the Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) serves as a blueprint for integrating nature-related disclosures into decision making and existing mandatory reporting requirements. TNFD, like the Task Force for Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD), operates as a voluntary disclosure framework. However, we hope that some governments and regulatory bodies will begin to incorporate TNFD recommendations into mandatory reporting frameworks. For organisations, voluntary adoption of TNFD is a proactive step towards staying ahead of potential regulatory changes and investor demands. By embracing TNFD early, companies can gain a competitive advantage and demonstrate their commitment to environmental responsibility.

The Rise of Biodiversity Regulations

by Samantha Wheeler • 17 Jan, 2024
With all the good biodiversity gives us and our environment, you would hope that it is sufficiently protected and supported by legislation. Not only in Europe, but also worldwide. As part of the European Green deal approved in 2020, the Nature Restoration Law is the first of its kind to cover the entire continent in Europe. Sadly, 80% of Europe’s natural habitats are in poor condition, but the proposed Nature Restoration Law will help to turn the tide when it comes to the protection and rejuvenation of European biodiversity by two 2030 and 2050 milestones.

The Importance of Biodiversity

by Samantha Wheeler • 15 Jan, 2024
‘Biodiversity’ is known as ‘the variability among living organisms from all sources including, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; including diversity within species, between species, and of ecosystems’. According to this report by the World Economic Forum, Biodiversity equals around $44 trillion in economic value (more than 50% of global GDP), making biodiversity one of Earth’s most valuable assets. Despite the massive amount of value biodiversity provides us, our global loss of biodiversity over the past 50 years has been significant, and 80% of that global biodiversity loss is caused by the built environment, agriculture, and energy/extractives. Sadly, a byproduct of advancing our own environments is that we’re destroying the Earth’s natural ones at the same time. This is because of many factors, and IPBES notes five main drivers: Habitat loss Over-exploitation of natural resources Spread of invasive species Climate change Pollution

The importance of reducing our impact on the warming world

by Samantha Wheeler • 05 Sept, 2023
Amongst all the policies and jargon out there, it’s easy to forget why it all matters and what the overarching goal is, so let’s take a moment to think about it. The pressure on Earth’s resources is becoming unbearable. Every year, Earth Overshoot Day (the annual date that marks the point when humanity uses more biological resources than the Earth can regenerate within a given year) creeps earlier and earlier. Extreme heat events are becoming more common with forest fires on the rise; species are dying due to habitat loss and food scarcity; our seas are rising and warming leading to devastating floods and enforced migration. All of this and we’re still projected to exceed 1.5 degrees of global warming, despite the 2015 Paris Agreement and subsequent UN promises. In short, we need action, and we need it yesterday.

EnviroSustain x Rewilding Europe collaboration: the first visit to the Oder Delta landscape

by Dr. Birgit Memminger-Rieve • 25 Jul, 2023
In February 2023, EnviroSustain announced a long-term partnership with Rewilding Europe. This collaboration will see a portion of the EnviroSustain turnover supporting rewilding initiatives for the next ten years, as well as pro bono advice on rewilding-related buildings in the network- such as new offices and rewilding centres. In June, Dr. Birgit Memminger-Rieve, MD at EnviroSustain, and Ingemar Hunold, Partner at EnviroSustain, met with the Rewilding Oder Delta team to provide support and advice for their newly established centre.
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