"The future of work is flexibility. If you are the employer who insists. I need to see you otherwise you are not working, you will face problems.

"People want flexibility. People have grown accustomed to being able to control their time, work a schedule, and then undertake other tasks. So, coming back and saying, I'm going to take it all back from you will force your staff to look for other options," she said.

Ms Akrong gave the advice at the 2022 edition of the HR Focus Conference, where she described how COVID-19 had altered the world of work and how workers had adapted to flexible working environments and flexible working hours, a statement from Vodafone Ghana copied to the Ghana News Agency said.

Speaking on the importance of trust in the workplace, she said for employees to develop an emotional connection to their organisations, senior management must be transparent in their communication and prove through their actions that they could be trusted, especially during times of crisis.

"Communication builds trust in leaders. What your company is doing must be communicated. When you ask your employees to make certain sacrifices during a crisis, they must understand the situation and realise from senior management's actions that the firm is truly in crisis.

"They must not see senior leadership go out and buy the next new Range Rover while all other employees suffer," she added.

Every year, HR Focus hosts the Vodafone HR Focus Conference for HR professionals of allblevels and sectors, the statement said.

The 2022 edition of the Vodafone HR Focus Conference brought together more than 300 HR practitioners and business leaders to discuss the topic of "HR's Role in Embracing the Future of Work During Economic Crises."

Speakers at the event included Dr Mrs Ellen Hagan, Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the L'AINE Group; Nana Elegba, Chief HR Officer of The Multimedia Group; Dr Mrs Irene Stella Agyenim Boateng, Advisor to the CEO of Volta River Authority; Michael Otchere Duah, HR Director of Unilever Ghana; Clement Wiredu, CEO of Becksworth Consulting; and Gideon Ataraire, CEO of Allianz Life Insurance Ghana.