The Future of Work and US Vaccine Policy at New Relic

The Future of Work and US Vaccine Policy at New Relic

While the COVID-19 pandemic brings unprecedented uncertainty about the future, the Relics who comprise our global workforce have shown remarkable resilience and adaptability, and have taught us about how they work best. We have taken the past year and a half to listen, learn, and evolve our approach to the Future of Work while simultaneously transforming our business to help our employees and customers succeed. 

Since the beginning of the pandemic, our utmost priority has been the health and safety of our employees and customers, and in turn, their friends, families, and communities around the globe. In March of last year, we instituted a mandatory work-from-home policy for our 2000+ employees and across our 16 global offices spanning 12 countries. While most of our employees have worked remotely since the beginning of the pandemic, we have taken a phased approach to begin re-opening our offices to meet local and government requirements, with mask and social distancing requirements in effect. 

Today, we are announcing our global “Future of Work” philosophy and separately, a COVID-19 vaccine requirement that applies to all US operations. Even as conditions continue to change, we believe it is paramount to provide our employees, and share with the broader tech community, our approach to the Future of Work at New Relic. We have designed our philosophy based on feedback from our workforce, leadership team, and peers. Core to our ethos is the responsibility to prioritize the safety and health of our Relics, customers and community, and to take actions that are fair, equitable, inclusive, and based on mutual trust. That means being outcome-focused and allowing for flexibility in how and where work is done. Our global workplace philosophy enables flexibility for individuals based on local needs and requirements. 

Philosophy

We believe in empowering all Relics to achieve their business goals in support of our company vision, strategy, and values through a workforce model (Flex First) that provides flexibility in where Relics work — whether that's in a New Relic office, from home, or in between — as long as it doesn’t conflict with business and customer needs. Flex First reflects our dedication to our employees, customers, and core values, as well as our belief that as we continue to grow, our productivity and performance will continue to be measured by outcomes.  

Flex First model

Flex Firstprioritizes flexibility in where employees work. This approach allows employees to work in a variety of places that best support their success, including fully office-based, fully remote, or a combination of both. Flex First means that most employees can choose where they work, depending on operational requirements. 

Employees can work with their manager to arrange and agree to any work option that differs from their initial or current work arrangement. Work location is defined as employees’ physical location: city, state, and country. Work site is an additional designation for employees who are within a reasonable commuting distance to one of New Relic’s physical locations, and include fully remote, hybrid, and office-based daily work arrangements. Work site locations include:

• Fully Remote — Employee is based at home, in one of New Relic’s approved work locations. 
• Hybrid — Employee is based within a reasonable commuting distance to one of our physical locations and works from the office some days each week and from home the rest of the time.
• Office-Based — Employee works from one of our office locations three or more days per week. 

US COVID-19 vaccine requirement

We believe that we have a duty to protect all global Relics and set an example for all organizations on our approach to COVID-19 prevention. Vaccines have been proven to protect against serious illness from the novel coronavirus, as well as lessen rates of transmission. Vaccines are proven to be a more effective protection than antibodies from prior infection. Therefore, today, New Relic is taking action to ensure the safety of our employees, customers, and communities, by enacting a COVID-19 vaccination requirement for all US operations (including global employees visiting the US for work). Compliance with our vaccine policy is also strongly encouraged for New Relic locations and employees outside the US. 

The vaccine requirement will apply in two phases: (1) vaccinations will be required for Relics who (a) are on site at a New Relic office (or shared office space), (b) attend a Company-sponsored event off site, and/or (c) travel for business or to a customer site starting on October 15, 2021, and (2) vaccinations will be required for our entire US workforce starting December 8, 2021. As ofDecember 8, 2021, the vaccine requirement also applies to fully remote workers, in compliance with the federal mandate. Relics will need to provide proof of positive vaccination status.

As a federal contractor and subcontractor, we also have a compliance obligation to follow requirements set forth by the US government. Laws and information pertaining to COVID-19 are in constant change, and where this policy may be outdated or inapplicable, we will apply current law and applicable health agency guidance.

This vaccine policy is a key part of New Relic’s overall strategy and commitment to maintaining a safe and healthy workplace in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. This policy is designed for use together with, and not as a substitute for, other COVID-19 prevention measures. After vaccination, everyone in New Relic workplaces should continue to follow all of our current office guidelines to protect themselves and others, including wearing a mask indoors, staying at least 6 feet apart from others, avoiding crowds, and washing or sanitizing their hands frequently.

We are building a modern workforce with flexibility at the forefront, and by doing so providing our people with an exceptional place to work, collaborate, and foster community. And this is only the beginning. To learn about New Relic and view open roles, visit newrelic.com/careers.