Why a Work-from-Home Option is Here to Stay at SMA

At the beginning of the COVID pandemic SMA, like many of our peers, was concerned about how the sudden change in work environment would impact our employees and our clients. What we found was that, outside of a need to focus even more diligently on health and safety, not much had really changed. Unlike many of our peers, SMA had developed to service a wide geographic footprint with fewer people in more remote offices. This structure had taught us to deliver our services in a highly collaborative way for over two decades. What’s more, our intent on providing a flexible work schedule for employees likewise meant that people were already adapted to accommodating each other’s availability even in team environments.

Although there was a need to adopt more technology for individualized productivity and some concern about diminishing corporate culture, we were able to change without significant harm and, in many cases, employees were able to flourish. As time has passed it has become apparent that a return to the old model of working in the office is unlikely to return and, in some cases, unnecessary. Of course, not all positions lend themselves to work at home all of the time, but in large our practice has changed to individualized coordination between the employee and the supervisor to address client needs regardless of work location, delivering on schedule, and with proper review.

Very likely this is where SMA will remain for the foreseeable future, allowing employees the highest degree of flexibility and clients the quality professional services they have come to expect.