Prudential's Bold Flexibility Play
Plus, accommodating neurodiversity in the workplace with Kate Lister and Kay Sargent
👋 Happy Tuesday! Would a potential recession impact WFH policies? Based on WFHResearch's February survey of over 400 US companies, the answer is: hardly at all. If the US enters a recession, companies anticipate reducing remote work only slightly, from 22% to 20% of workdays.
In this week’s edition:
🏦 Prudential’s WFA Strategy
📊 Cost of Living & Flexibility
🎥 Neurodiversity in the Workplace
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THIS WEEK’S FLEX FOCUS 🔍
Prudential's "Work from Anywhere" Offers New Flexibility Frontier
Hybrid work arrangements are often touted as the best of both worlds, but even they can present some challenges for employees.
That’s why Prudential Financial is trying to give its hybrid employees even more flexibility. Now in its second year, the company's "Work from Anywhere" program allows its 13,000 US-based corporate employees to work remotely from any location for up to four weeks annually, complementing their standard two to three days per week in-office schedule.
Looking ahead, Prudential aims to formalize and expand the program based on positive employee feedback. As VP of Culture and Inclusion, Nya Patel notes, the company's core value of providing employees the flexibility they need to perform their best work continues to drive this innovative approach to modern workplace arrangements.
FLEX WORK QUICK HITS 💥
Stay ahead of the curve with our curated roundup of the trending flexible work stories making waves right now. Here's what you need to know 👇
Business Insider: Working parent reveals remote work's double edge – offering precious time with children while blurring boundaries between professional and personal life.
Quartz: On-site employees are willing to make substantial sacrifices for remote work opportunities despite growing corporate pushback on flexible work arrangements in 2025.
The Hill: Poor hybrid work management reflects training gap, with just 10% of managers receiving mandatory training while 48% of hybrid teams lack collaboration plans.
KRON4: San Francisco tied with Chicago for the lowest office return rate among major US cities despite mandates from Salesforce and city government.
STAT OF THE WEEK 📈
The Relationship Between Cost of Living & Flexibility
Last year, we examined the relationship between an area’s cost of living and the flexible work policy of its employers. The big takeaway? Across 38 major metros, areas with a higher cost of living are much more likely to have work location flexibility.
Why? The relationship between cost of living and flexible work is primarily driven by a few factors: industry mix (these areas have more Technology, Finance, and Professional Services firms), commute pain (that is, how time consuming is the commute), cost associated with said commuting into the office (gas, parking, food, and associated expenses), and even local politics.
FLEXPERT INSIGHTS 🧠
Accommodating Neurodiversity in the Workplace
Regardless of whether your organization has adopted a fully in-office or hybrid strategy, employee expectations for the workplace experience and how they use the office have been forever changed. One-size-fits-all solutions do not address the complex mix of how people think, process information, and engage with the world.
Hosts Kate Lister and Kay Sargent explore how organizations can improve workplace experiences by designing with neurodiversity in mind. Key topics include:
The growing importance of workplace experience
Lessons from neurodiversity for better workplace design
Using technology to reduce cognitive overload and help employees find ideal work settings
FLEX PERSPECTIVES 🎙️
ICYMI: Preparing for the Storm: The Future of Commercial Real Estate | Arpit Gupta
In this episode of Flex Perspectives, Rob Sadow sat down with Arpit Gupta, Associate Professor of Finance at NYU Stern, to explore the looming "apocalypse" in commercial real estate. Whether you're in real estate, a company leader, or a public official impacted by urban core changes, this must-listen conversation offers insights and strategies for navigating uncertain times.
Check out the full episode to learn:
What’s happening in commercial real estate
Who will be the most affected by these changes
How stakeholders can protect themselves amidst uncertainty
Also available on Apple Podcasts.
COMPANY SPOTLIGHT ✨
Duda is a leading web design platform for digital marketing agencies, SaaS platforms, and hosted web providers who serve small businesses, established in 2009. The company's mission is to provide web professionals with tools and services to help them build scalable, beautiful, and high-converting websites for their clients. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, it also has offices in Tel Aviv and London.
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