Hybrid Working “a flexible working policy whereby employees work in between the office and home. (i.e., 3 days in the office and 2 days working from home).”
According to research by Forbes, with regards to building a better business model:
“Post Covid-19 found that a mere 4% of employees surveyed want to return to offices full-time, with the bulk of them (68%) preferring to work from home three or two days a week.”
A hybrid model and flexible working policy will give employees a better work-life balance.
For many, having the chance to work from home for a few days a week allows an employee extra time to do the things we all need to do; run errands, look after kids, walk dogs, do housework, etc.
People feel more in control of their lives and valued, which in turn increases productivity and engagement in the workplace. Happy and engaged employees are good for business, producing better customer service, reducing absence rates and increases profitability on the whole.
Another investigation conducted by Forbes found:
“Working from home reduced commute-related stress by 63% while boosting overall happiness by 10% and causing a 21% reduction in multitasking that causes stress and weakens work quality.”
The term ‘the great resignation’ has become popularised lately, where employers are experiencing mass resignations across the board. We are seeing what is known as an ’employees’ market’ in the recruitment world. People are motivated by the opportunities that are better for their overall well-being.
Dr LaNail R Plummer, CEO of Onyx Therapy Group, told Forbes magazine: “Forcing people to go back to the office communicates to employees that their company doesn’t value what the best work environment maybe for [them].”
If employers start making people go back to the office full-time, they may find they need to replace staff and invest in the recruitment, onboarding & training of new people.
A hybrid working model not only saves companies money on the recruitment and retention of their employees, office costs, travel, and energy bills. It also saves the employees money through commuting, travel, lunches, etc. Happier, engaged staff bring increased productivity and inevitably increased profit.
Offering remote working allows employers to recruit outside of their area and reach people that traditionally wouldn’t have been able to commute into the office due to the distance. A hybrid working model also provides access to people who are willing to commute further afield if it’s only twice a week, for example.
The other advantage to hybrid working is a flexible working policy will attract and retain a higher calibre of candidates. For some, a work-life balance is a driving factor in deciding future work opportunities.
Companies could see themselves becoming an “employer of choice” with a competitive advantage if they offer a good package that includes a range of employee benefits and an emphasis on a healthy work-life balance via a flexible working policy.
Hybrid working or full-time remote working models both lower the overall energy consumption of the company and each employee.
If sixty employees all travel into the office five days a week, each with up to an hour’s commute, their fuel consumption, and therefore carbon emissions and the negative impact on the environment, will be far greater than having x amount of people working from home, and y coming into the office two to three times a week.
A Hybrid model could mean a larger office space can be reduced, and less electricity, gas, paper, printers, etc. would be required. This would also mean a reduced cost of maintenance and, on the whole, reduce the knock-on impact to the environment and the annual costs of running a big office.
With that being said, companies need to ensure that if they do make a switch to hybrid working that they do it sustainably, making sure employees have the equipment, furniture, and technology they need to do their jobs. Employees need to be working safely, and businesses may need to review each person on a case-by-case basis. Can everyone work from home? Does every employee need to be in the office full-time?
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