Is the traditional 9 to 5 routine official a thing of the past? For millions of UK employees, hybrid working is no longer a perk but the new normal. How can businesses make this flexible model work?

In my previous blog I explored flexible working and the importance of having not only a good policy in place to deal with requests but also an understanding of how to approach requests, given that this is now a day one right.

But what about hybrid working?  There is a lot of debate currently raging about employees being forced to return to the office and the disconnect between what senior management want and what employees want. 

Of course, in 2020 when COVID hit the ability of businesses to move employees to home working meant that many businesses could keep operating.  This was of course a stressful time for everyone, with people having to find room to work and many also having to deal with home schooling their children.  With COVID restrictions lasting longer than many anticipated we all got used to working from home.  No more commuting, no more having to get dressed to go to the office, more time to go to the gym or lie in bed or walk the dog (insert depending on your own preference). 

Many businesses have recognised that employees like the flexibility of working from home and that this approach has many benefits,  including increased productivity, reduced burnout, no commuting stress and less cost.  It has also been shown to improve employee satisfaction and retention and has supported those who employees who are balancing work with children and / or caring responsibilities. 

For employers hybrid working has given  access to a wider talent pool as prospective employees may be happy to commute further for a couple of days but not the whole week and fully remote employees can be based anywhere.  Many business have been able to reduce the cost of office space, as they do not need to accommodate all employees in the office at the same time and employee engagement is also improved when employees have more control over how they work.

Of course it isn’t without its challenges.  There can be a sense of isolation, particularly, if others are in the office full time or at different times leading to a lack of team cohesion.  There has been a lot of discussion around inequity between remote and on-site workers, especially around opportunities, promotions or projects.  Lastly, it is harder to sustain workplace culture, if you’re working from home you could be working for anyone, colleagues don’t build the same relationships if they do not interact as much.

Many employers have mandated a full time return to the office as they believe that productivity is more difficult to manage, communication is not as effective, managing staff is tricker and collaboration is improved in person.  This approach has alienated many employees and we have all seen the negative stories in the press of the approaches to ‘making’ employees go back to the office.

So, what are some good practices to make hybrid working effective?

Having a clear policy in place outlining expectations around the split between home and office and also agreeing what days employees are expected in the office.  If teams are in the office together this will promote a sense of teamworking  and cohesion.

Clear communication policies, what are the expectations around availability for meetings, what meetings are considered in person ones and what etiquette is required for virtual meetings?

What tools are company mandated for example MS Teams for meetings and Slack for collaboration.  What is the approach to Whatsapp and if this is used for business, what guidelines do you have in place?

How can hybrid working work for the business and the employee?  It isn’t necessarily a one size fits all approach.   Managers will need to have those conversations with the individuals in their teams to make sure there is an approach which works for them and the business.

Hybrid working will keep evolving, with the ever-increasing use of AI many tasks can and will be streamlined and there is still much discussion around a 4 day week.  Ultimately, employees are likely to continue to want the flexibility of hybrid working and employers will need to be prepared to have those discussions or risk losing talent,  disengaged staff and potentially claims arising from flexible working requests if they have not been dealt with properly. 

The debate will no doubt continue.  Need help with your policies or an effective hybrid working strategy? Contact me at bev@bdhr.co.uk for help.