Testing format work from home during a pandemic COVID-19, Russian retailers decided to make this practice permanent. Thus, the X5 Retail Group plans to transfer about 60 per cent of staff in remote or combined operation mode, which will reduce operating costs for rent due to the rejection of part of the area. Such projects consider other retailers.X5 Retail Group (“Pyaterochka”, “Perekrestok”, “Karusel”) has launched a transformation project of its offices in Russia, the company said on Wednesday. It is assumed that 60% of employees will pass on the X5 remote, and the combined operation, about 46% of them will be able to work from home up to three days a week, and the rest will either move to remote work entirely, or will come to the office once a week. The company noted that changes in the approach to the organization of the workflow started in the past year, and a large-scale transfer of employees to remote mode during a pandemic significantly accelerated the process.Changes will allow to optimize the cost of the rental by eliminating from the part occupied by the currently areas, have informed in X5. There I specify that the reduction of the area will affect several leased offices, primarily in those business centers where there is such a possibility under the terms of the contract. The name of the sites and their quantity in the company said. According to its own data, the X5 employs more than 307 thousand people. In January—June the company’s expenses for rental grew by 81.2%, to 2.4 billion rubles year-on-year, it follows from the statements of the company. The figure is approximately 0.5% of revenue X5 during this period (468,99 bn).According to senior analyst of Gazprombank Marat Ibragimov, the redeployment of some staff to the remote or the combined mode will allow X5 to slightly reduce operating expenses. It will add only a few basis points to operating margins of the company, but will be welcomed by investors, he says. In the first half operating margin of X5 were 5.1%, against 5.7% a year earlier.Managing partner of Kontakt, InterSearch Russia Marina Tarnopol’skaya said that in the first place on the remote or combo format translated IT staff, HR block, as well as buyers and logistics (except for fashion retail). HR Director Leroy Merlin Faith Barkova said that since the beginning of the pandemic to 98% of the employees of the Central office of the company are translated into remote mode. But the permanent transfer of all employees with remote work it is not, but rather about combining working from home and in the office. The Group did not answer questions “b”.HR Director of the group “M. Video-Eldorado” Natalia Maleeva said that since September, the office of the company is also moving to a hybrid mode of operation — 60% of employees will work remote only two or three days a week to visit the office. The rest will remain in the office in the format of flexible working hours and opportunity for remote work. This will allow you to save more than 30% of the usual cost of an office, including rent and utilities, adds Ms. Maleeva. “Coswell” recognized the effectiveness of remote work and offers its employees to use the office for meetings or if necessary, the company said. Metro said that also enable office visit on request, but not more than 25% of the Department at the same time. Different options of working process organization in the future considers, and “Magnet”.Nikita Sharenkov
