Hungary: Vodafone offers option of permanent remote work to employees in telephone customer services

Since the beginning of July, the Hungarian subsidiary of telecommunications group Vodafone has been offering its telephone customer service staff the opportunity to continue working from home after the pandemic, should they opt to sign up. The introduction of remote working in this area of operations had taken longer than for other employees, who were already equipped to work remotely. However once the necessary steps were taken, the company saw no reason not to continue in this vein. Initially, 50% of such staff will be able to work entirely from home. The company also highlights that, over this recent period, it has transformed the way work is organised in the department, taking into account conclusions drawn in last few months and feedback from employees, specifically with a view to enabling remote working on a long-term basis. The firm adds that it pays special attention to the health of its employees by checking, among other things, whether the working conditions are safe enough for them to be eligible for the scheme. If the home workstation meets the pre-set criteria, the employee will be equipped with all the necessary computer equipment (e.g. laptop, headset, screen and any necessary software support).