The challenge

Swiss Re is one of the world's leading providers of reinsurance, insurance, and other forms of insurance-based risk transfer, working to make the world more resilient. The aim of the Swiss Re Group is to enable society to thrive and progress, creating new opportunities and solutions for its clients.

Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, where it was founded in 1863, the Swiss Re Group operates through a network of around 80 offices globally. Our 14,744 employees represent 122 nationalities and provide a wide range of technical expertise, enabling us to develop unique solutions and drive growth.

Swiss Re has been at the forefront of working flexibly, having launched the "Own The Way You Work" (OTWYW) programme more than five years ago. However, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed this kind of flexibility to the front of the agenda.

Swiss Re recognised that people have different needs and preferences when it comes to managing their workday and were committed to providing flexible working arrangements. OTWYW enabled Swiss Re employees to easily switch from working in the office to working from home when the pandemic hit.

The OTWYW programme while considering individual, client and team needs and in compliance with local laws and regulations, motivates and engages employees through the freedom to decide how, when and where to carry out their tasks - leading to a better work life balance.

The action taken

Empowering employees. Enabling teams.

Evolving social trends and challenging market conditions means that companies must align working environments and approaches to meet the new demands. Yet to address the shifting talent dynamics there is more to agile working than having flexible hours.

Swiss Re enriched its vision for the future way of working with cutting-edge technology and flexible workplace solutions. These shape an ambitious and creative company culture, where everyone should find an environment that enables them to perform at their best.

The evolution of Own The Way You Work^TM

When our trademarked OTWYW programme was introduced, the primary focus was to promote flexible working.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, OTWYW enabled Swiss Re employees to work remotely easily. At the same time, we had to think about what our new 'normal' would look like. It was clear that the future of work would be hybrid and required cutting-edge technology combined with flexible workplace solutions.

As our OTWYW approach worked well, the principles were updated to foster even greater trust and transparency, deliver real choice and flexibility when it comes to where and how our employees work, and support an ambitious and creative company culture. The revised principles recognise that the physical office is an important part of the Swiss Re hybrid working model and the modern workplaces will enable co-creation, innovation and build team comradery.

Our office. A place to collaborate.

With the hybrid working option, we’re also clear on the importance of the physical office. To be active participants in our culture, employees need to experience it – to interact with one another and leverage each other's unique talents – physically. Only through in person interaction can we really foster the right culture.

No one size fits all. From our colleagues in Asia, we've learned it’s uncommon to have dedicated working space at home, so they like coming into the office. That's why we leave it to country managers to find the best local solutions with their teams.

As liberating as flexible working has been in some respects, it has also pushed the limits of employees’ well-being and work-life balance. Over the years of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people also missed the structure and clarity of getting up in the morning and going to the office every day, then saying, “My workday is over – I’m going home now” -- and in fact departing for home

The impact

Empowering our people to work smarter and be more engaged.

OTWYW gives employees the flexibility to manage their day while recognizing team and client needs and complying with local regulations. Swiss Re's work culture is trust-based and results-driven. Our people are working smarter and are engaged:

• Feedback from our employees shows the hybrid approach has not hampered effective collaboration (87% agree) and Swiss Re has been able to maintain a strong team culture (72% agree)
• Our digital workplace is rated as highly fit for purpose by our employees (90% agree).
• Interestingly, Swiss Re's employee experience survey shows that employees working the majority of their time from the office have more favourable perceptions on: Employee Engagement, Performance, Culture, Oneness, Enablement and Well-being compared to people working the majority of their time from home.

Offering our people flexibility while aligning with their team has proven to be a good approach to balance our company’s and people’s needs.

''Gone are the days when ‘facetime’ in the office counted more than business results. The main thing is getting the job done successfully. Of course, when I have to present at a board meeting, flexibility has its limits. But if I need to take my daughter to the doctor in the afternoon, I can manage my diary accordingly. To make this work, my team and I quickly touch base each morning and I trust them to own their schedules, too.” Senior executive, Zurich, Switzerland