SIRO Clinpharm, an end-to-end drug development solutions provider to the global healthcare industry, has introduced a flexiwork policy for its employees, which would enable them to work within a hybrid environment and enjoy a healthier work-life balance.

SIRO made the decision to implement a hybrid working policy to create a thought-leader model of flexible working, which allows employees to work from their agreed-upon base location, with robust monitoring mechanisms, and a mandate to attend certain days in the office each month to facilitate team meetings and inter-departmental coordination.   

Currently, the company has launched a three-month pilot to test the implementation of the policy which will then be improved and extended based on the feedback and observation from employees and senior stakeholders. 

“Rather than being reactive to the situation created by the pandemic, the team at SIRO looked at where they envisioned the organization to be positioned in the next 3-5 years. Hybrid working is here to stay and given the young leadership and quick decision-making abilities, we decided to completely switch to the new model of working overnight while ensuring a framework is in place,” said Karan Daftary, Director of SIRO Clinpharm.

The decision to introduce the policy was taken after an internal survey by SIRO, in which its employees expressed satisfaction with the work-life balance provided by the new hybrid model. The survey also showed that majority of the employees preferred a flexible work policy which allows them to work from their base location, while visiting office few times in a month.

After a thorough analysis and discussion, a minimum four days of attendance a month for each employee has been mandated. In addition, team meetings and review meetings will be conducted regularly to ensure the connect is maintained between departments and deliverables are met.

As a measure to ensure discipline and a strong framework, the organization created a web-based calendar system which enables vertical business leads or managers, to plan meetings at the start of the month in the ‘SIRO monthly calendar’ and circulate it to all team members to prepare them for the days they are expected in the office. Each meeting is clearly defined with purpose and objectives and can be customized monthly based on business needs and requirements.  A provision for need based meetings and reviews have been made a part of the flexiwork policy.

In addition to the monthly calendar, the company will also maintain a strong mechanism to ensure productivity in the flexible work model by mandating filling of weekly timesheets, regular catch-up meetings and frequent performance reviews.

The company firmly believes that this hybrid model would provide a great balance between ensuring work-life balance of current employees as well as a comforting environment for new employees to join.