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VMware: Remote work advances environmental, diversity, inclusion goals

Virtual and augmented reality may be critical to advancing the new normal of work and collaboration.
Written by Larry Dignan, Contributor

VMware said it will pursue a hybrid work approach for its 33,000 employees as a way to advance its environmental and diversity goals.

The company, as part of its Future of Work initiative, said its employees will have the choice to work in the office, remotely and with a combination of the two. VMware said that the Future of Work effort is part of its 2030 Agenda.

While other companies have announced plans to enable more remote work, VMware has tied climate change and diversity and inclusion to a hybrid work model. Companies have evolved on remote work by initially focusing on lower commercial real estate costs and a more diversified labor pool and then moving to other benefits.

For VMware, enabling a remote work force also serves as a strong case study since its software enables business continuity as well as the employee model it is pursuing. The company noted that it expects augmented and virtual reality to be key technologies for its work model. 

Rich Lang, senior vice president of human resources, said:

We are empowering our team to choose to work permanently remote, "flexible" or near a VMware office, or from a VMware office full-time. Employees can work from any location that accelerates their productivity and advances their personal and professional goals.

The Future of Work program includes building a diverse and engaged distributed team, hubs and campuses for collaboration, reducing commuting to offices and carbon emissions and less travel to be with family. VMware will use resources from HR, Workplace and IT to build out the model.

"Accessibility to a broader talent pool and flexible work will shape a more diverse VMware and help achieve net-zero carbon emissions for operations," said Lang. 

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