Stuart Thomas | 11th September 2024

At our last branch meeting a number of members raised queries and concerns about the way that SMART working is being implemented in their area. In the meeting, we made a commitment to go back to the company, feedback the concerns you were raising and look to get some answers around the three key areas of concern. We’ve now had a reply from Aviva and can now share that with you:

• We reported that some members are being told that they must have no less than 50% office attendance.

Aviva Response:  We want people to be in an Aviva office, together with colleagues, regularly for all the benefits that brings in terms of learning, collaboration and culture. We’ve put a framework in place for you to work to, still allowing plenty of flexibility for you and your leader to work within.  The framework guidance is for people to split their time roughly 50/50 between home and office, with at least two days each week in an office (if they work full-time). Leaders are accountable for making smart working work effectively in their teams by considering the outcomes or work that needs to be done, what is best for customers and also what is appropriate for the team.

• Some members make time up absence from the office due to sickness/holiday (even where they are fit to work but have a communicable illness ad have been instructed by the company to work from home)

Aviva Response: The health and wellbeing of our colleagues is paramount. If a colleague is unwell and unable to work, they should be recorded as off sick on workday, which takes them out of the data recording for each day they are off sick. In addition, we have never said that colleagues need to make up the time in the scenario you highlight. There is no expectation that this is the case, and we are clear that that there will be times when around 50% is not possible and these scenarios can be managed locally via conversations with leaders on a case by cases basis.

• Office attendance of under 50% is impacting members goals, career progression, pay and bonus.

Aviva Response: For clarity, here’s what we have published on our Smart Working Hub: If I don’t attend the office around 50% of the time, Office attendance is a small, but important, part of your performance overall so it will be considered in the round. Similar to the rest of your objectives, this should feature in your regular conversations with your leader. When we set objectives, we know that there may be legitimate extenuating circumstances that result in a colleague not meeting the exact outcome intended, and for a variety of reasons. Smart Working is no different, and provided you are attending as required, this wouldn't impact your performance rating and/or bonus. However, in the same way that underperformance or poor behaviour is addressed, a persistent failure to meet with Smart Working requirements could result in action being taken if there is no legitimate reason, depending on the individual situation.

• Some members feel that they are being impacted by not meting a hard 50%.

Aviva Response: I have checked the data across the UK. YTD, 50% attendance stands at around 48%. 40% attendance stands at 65% and average attendance overall is around 48%. On the basis of that data, I hope you are reassured that there is no hard line and that we simply continue to work with colleagues and leaders to embed Smart Working.

Next steps:

If you feel that this does not reflect what’s happening in your area, please get in touch with us via this mailbox so that we can collate which areas this is happening in and also provide you with individual assistance.