Key results
2,650
staff improved their work-life balance
0
cost impact on profit and loss
5-day
working week for non-site execution staff
⇣
Reduced number of working days for all staff
About the client
Our client is a multi-services construction company that operates in the construction of commercial and residential buildings, sport and leisure facilities, infrastructure, environment, and marine-related projects
The challenge
The company organised an engagement survey with its employees every two years to gauge how satisfied they are with work. In one of these surveys, employees complained about heavy workloads and declining well-being. Management took this to heart and engaged us to improve the work-life balance of employees.
What we did
The company had the challenge to improve the work-life balance of staff in an industry where clients expect six working days per week to deliver projects on time. Active supervision is required to ensure safety, high work quality and productivity. To remain competitive, the company had to ensure that the cost of the new working regimes would be absorbed in the overall personnel cost.
We implemented the transformation in two phases: Inthe Design Phase, we created improved working regimes that balanced the client’s business reality with employee work-life balance. Some of the initiatives included:
Research and analysis
We conducted an in-depth analysis and interviews with stakeholders to develop scenarios for improving the work-life balance. From there, we defined two types of working regimes, site execution vs. non-site execution, and developed instruments to balance out the difference in working regimes for the employees.
Financial model
We built a robust financial model which enabled the management to decide on the final working regimes and to ensure that the differences in working regimes were fair and balanced out.
In the Implementation Phase we ran several initiatives to embed the new working regimes in the organisation:
Validating the proposed solutions
Did the new way of working succeed? We actively sought the feedback of key people, influencers and a survey of a wide range of staff to validate the assumptions.
Getting processes ready
All policies and procedures were made ready for implementation. Necessary changes were made to the IT system to accommodate the changes, so that holiday planning and correct salary payment would happen without problems at the end of the first month of the implementation.
Internal communications
A critical success factor to the transformation was to ensure that all staff received the correct information on how the changes would impact them personally. We prepared and executed a multi-country, multi-project communication plan to inform all staff about the changes.
Results
The new working regimes began smoothly, with no impact on the safety, progress and productivity of the company’s construction projects.
Overall, employees were positive about the new working regimes, with many saying that management had listened to them. There was now an optimised holiday procedure to ensure that all staff can and will take their holidays. Site execution staff also enjoyed balanced working regimes with extra benefits.
