Half of PepsiCo’s Office Staff to Work From Home Permanently

Under PepsiCo's new 'Work that Works' program, there will be no default day-to-day workplace for employees in headquarters locations.

On June 14, food and beverage giant PepsiCo shared plans for its new corporate shift to embracing remote work flexibility, led by having half of its office staff work from home permanently.

Purchase, New York-based PepsiCo says that, under its new, ‘Work that Works’ program, there will be no default day-to-day workplace for employees in headquarters locations.

Office associates, along with their managers, will choose what work can be done remotely and what needs to be done in person, while decisions about the best ways of working will be based on roles, daily activities and team dynamics.

PepsiCo pointed to studies that have shown flexible work boosting engagement, work-life balance and all-around well-being, as well as positive environmental impacts that will fuel the company’s performance and sustainability goals. PepsiCo notes that employers that offer flexible work see a 15% increase in productivity, 31% less absenteeism and 10% less turnover.

The Work that Works program will let PepsiCo scale down its real estate footprint by 15%, which it says will lead to less waste and lower energy use. The company notes that roughly 50% of its office staff will work remotely at any time, and that for every 100 employees who work from home twice a week, it will save 70 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

The company says the move will also gain it access to a wider talent pool that values being able to work from home at least part of the time.

Technology will aid PepsiCo workers whether they’re in the office or not. Associates can reserve a workspace or meeting room via a mobile app, while occupancy sensors and integrated meeting technology will assist in scheduling meetings between in-person and virtual groups. Office analytics will also boost collaboration actions.

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