Marriott Hotels: Remote Working Policies

What policies do you use with remote working, for your team?

Timing, really to make sure that I don’t call them early in the morning or call them really late. The policy is really respecting their privacy. It’s very important to make sure that there is a work-life balance. Therefore, when they are at work, I know that they are committed and I know that whatever I need, they can answer and they can assist me with. But also making sure that when they are not working, they are also enjoying their private time. That’s the main policy that I use, personally.

Do you still expect them to be online from 9 till 5 or 6 or are you more flexible now that they’re at home and possibly, more active or more available than they would be if they were travelling, for example?

They’re leaders, so we need to trust them. We are in a hospitality world and in business and industry. When I started my first job, in 1993, the first thing that I told myself was, I am going to be working when people are on vacation and I’m going to be off when they are working. If you like that in life, then you can start in the hospitality industry. If not, then you are in the wrong industry. There are not really specific hours that I ask them to be available. They are mature; they are leaders. They will be at the hotel, when it’s needed and they will be off when their family need them.

How are you preparing your team for new procedures when they come back to the hotel, in terms of potentially using masks, new routines, new cleanliness procedures, for example. How are you dealing with that, right now?

We have an almost weekly conversation. Depending on different government schemes, some are working and some are on reduced working hours. We make sure we have a communication when they are working and when they are allowed to work. They are involved in all these processes. One of the important things to have the team on board, is really to have them involved, despite the fact that, at the corporate level, we are working on these procedures. I am liaising a lot with each region, with each country team and making sure that they are also in contact with the local government, for example, to collect all the legal information and the new rules and regulations that will be put in place. Just keeping them on board, asking them what they think about putting this in place, because they are the ones who will be with the guests. They are the ones that are on the floor and knowing exactly how the guests are going to react to the new regulations. This is how I onboard them on the project.