OMD announced OMD Heartlands, a way for staff, isolated from family by the pandemic, to reconnect with distant loved ones.
This gives people the opportunity to spend an extended period working from their home states or countries via a combination of annual leave and working remotely.
In a pre-pandemic world, expats at OMD had the choice to fly home within 24 hours of an important family event, such as family illness or loss.
In the current environment, with border closures both domestically and internationally, this choice was taken away. Now OMD wants to give that time back, with up to six weeks on offer to spend back home.
With offices in more than 100 countries across the globe, OMD has the opportunity to create mobile hubs where a high volume of staff might have family, such as London. In situations where there is no local office nearby, OMDers will be able to work from home.
Laura Nice, OMD Sydney’s managing director and an expat herself: “The initiative was created by listening to our people and from seeing how many of them have been impacted by the border closures.
"I know first hand the feeling of loss after missing important family events and milestones over the past two years, both good and bad.
"Normally I would have jumped on a plane to be with my loved ones, but instead, I’ve never felt so far away. We wanted to allow all OMDers the opportunity to maximise the time with their families once borders reopened, and so OMD Heartlands was created.”
Peter Horgan, OMG CEO ANZ: “We know our people are desperate to get home and spend time with their loved ones. OMD Heartlands is a wonderful initiative that recognises our people come from all over Australia and the globe.
"OMD has had an established flexibility policy since 2017, proving that OMDers can deliver for our clients and our business wherever they are, and what better place to do this than beside the friends and family they’ve missed for so long.”
OMD Heartlands will be rolled out across the wider OMG Group. Take-off will happen as soon as borders reopen.
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