What’s Trending: Hybrid Work Policies
January 14, 2025
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Hybrid work had been hailed as the answer to remote work and in-office work woes, thinking it was a midpoint between them, but the truth is more complicated. Hybrid work has its own issues that need to be resolved by every company that’s considering it. Policies need to be thought of and set clearly to avoid any miscommunication, and these need to be rules rather than suggestions to make it work.
Are you thinking of writing a hybrid work policy? No worries, just read what top publications have to say about them below.
Remote work came to its peak during the pandemic as workers became accustomed to its perks, Benjamin Friedrich writes for Kellogg. In his article, he explores the pros and cons of hybrid work as the closest solution to bridging the gap between the desires of workers and managers. Hybrid policies can benefit work as people choose the best way to reach professional and personal goals while curving some of the most harmful critiques of remote work.
Trying to force a return to the office should be thoroughly planned by managers and companies, as remote and hybrid work has clear advantages that can possibly triumph over office work. Obviously, it all depends on the industry, company, and particular roles.
The first thing to remember is that hybrid work has advantages and disadvantages, just as remote or in-office work does. The main benefit, to no one’s surprise, is the flexibility that it allows workers. They can choose to stay at home if they work better there without losing the main benefits of in-office work. Remote workers can find it harder to move upwards in a company, as they don’t meet people as often and might not know all too well others. Building relationships can be hard.
“Social interaction helps you make progress in your career by building relationships. You’re at a disadvantage if you don’t spend as much time in person.”
Harvard research shows in-person workers have more opportunities to interact with senior coworkers in a more informal setting, which is important for building relationships. Remote work policies also allow more women to join the workforce, as working mothers have flexibility. However, if they cannot put in more hours, gender biases can still persist. Hybrid work can help bridge that gap, as flexibility isn’t totally lost, and yet they can benefit from in-person interactions.
Riha Jaishi, a Vantage Circle content writer, created a long article about the challenges and best practices for a working hybrid policy. The challenges stem from communication, tech issues, work-life balance, and finding good DEI policies.
Now, these issues are nothing new, and if you’ve worked remotely or at an office, you can imagine that there are certain issues where, no matter how you play them, you will always find kinks in a plan. Still, having good policies is better than being at the mercy of fate. Without further ado, check out some strategies on how to improve hybrid work.
“Battling these challenges will require you to work on various strategies and implement practices.”
The first step is to improve communication by implementing mixed communication tools so those working remotely and in person are always on the same page. Integrating technology in all locations is important for communication. Flexibility and wellness go hand in hand if appropriately applied. Allowing flex time by setting office and remote days, as well as goals, instead of a rigid schedule. This type of schedule can help them improve their work-life balance and even mental health.
Deskbird staff published an article about how to set up hybrid policies and the differences between them and the guidelines. The first thing to keep in mind is that guidelines, though important, can be disregarded swiftly. Meanwhile, policies have weight and consequences if they’re ignored.
“Some rules apply to set up an effective policy. Crucial aspects like eligibility, security, technology, expectations, work-from-home benefits, etc., must be discussed and defined.”
The first thing that any good policy needs is collaboration across all teams. IT, HR, Marketing, Finance, et cetera, all have different wants, needs, and dues, so to create something that works, it needs to be a collective task toward a clear direction.
Setting clear directives like “hybrid members must work two days a week at home” leaves less uncertainty and allows everyone to plan ahead. There is a chance for stress and miscommunication, which happens in every role, which is why transparency is a must in remote or hybrid roles. By having clear rules and set expectations, a hybrid policy has the best chance of working with no problem.
A big thing that can help a hybrid policy is as simple as the 5Ws. That is, who, what, when, what, and where. The idea is that there is little left for the imagination or misinterpretation. The policy must answer who is available, why the policy is implemented, when they should work from home or the office, what they need, and where they can operate from (third places, abroad, etc.)
Hybrid policies can be a thoroughly useful tool and a source of employee well-being if done right. But only if done right. There might be some push and pull, and some kinks to work out along the way, but transparency, rules, and clear direction are vital for it to work.
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