What is hybrid work and what role will it play in 2021 and beyond?
On one hand, of the groups that seem most primed to work remotely indefinitely, Gen Z leads the pack. They’re digital natives who seamlessly understand new productivity tools; it’s natural for younger workers, say, to communicate via DMs or video chat, technologies that some older groups have had to catch up to learn. Working from home – or other far-flung locales – seems a natural fit for this group. Ms Fitzmaurice explained that a “framework of flexibility” was necessary so that agreements could be made by each team to set the “sweet spot” of a combination of home and office work. Our client is offering hybrid working hours to the successful individual who joins their team as a Paraplanner. The main purpose of the role is to support the IFAs with their Administration work, by preparing documents and undertaking a range … Communication is critical to hybrid working success but also a potentially high-risk area. In the very least, hybrid working will help you figure out how much office space you need to support your employees. For information on when it is safe to return to the office, visit your local government COVID-19 planning site. HR practitioners have a very important role in considering the main aspects of statutory employment law for home and hybrid workers. Employers who aren’t are more likely to face cases brought against them at an employment tribunal. Instead of assessing employees via time spent in the office (or in virtual meetings), managers will need to adjust to assessing performance through outcomes, contribution and value. Managers will not be able to monitor every aspect of an employee’s work when they are working remotely, nor should this normally be necessary. Communication is critical to hybrid working success but also a potentially high-risk area. Three-quarters of home and hybrid workers reported improved work life balance Since the pandemic, companies have adopted the technologies of virtual work remarkably quickly—and employees are seeing the advantages of more flexibility in where and when they work. As leaders recognize what is possible, they are embracing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reset work using a hybrid model. With a hybrid work model, the purpose of the office must evolve, as will the capabilities that are offered in each space. Many organisations introduced hybrid working arrangements after the pandemic after positive working from home experiences for them and their employees. One of the key reasons is digital friction, which analyst Gartner defines as the “unnecessary hybrid work from home effort extended by employees using technology for work”, acting as a roadblock to employees’ productivity. Digital friction is one of the biggest culprits for poor digital employee experience (DEX), according to Gartner. Health and safety risk assessments Following the above hybrid work best practices is important for its success in your organization. For more information on hybrid work best practices, be sure to check out our blog post. Let’s now dive into a few things you should consider when moving to a hybrid work model. Workers who were married, cohabiting or in a civil partnership reported higher levels of home only or hybrid working at 48% compared with 36% for single workers and reported 52% and 64%, respectively, for travelling to work only. In a hybrid work model, employees have more flexibility to get work done when, how, and where they’re most productive. For example, some people work best early in the morning while others do better in the evening. They can also choose to work with teammates onsite or do heads-down work from a remote location. Legal implications of hybrid working Contractual issues are at the centre of planning and operating home or hybrid working, starting with flexible work. If you are a UNISON member with a legal problem, please contact your branch or region as soon as possible for advice. Employers may have an expectation for staff to work excessively long hours when working from home. For some people, it may feel that there is no separation between their work and personal lives. With the current state of near-constant disruption, virtually no job feels safe and secure—and rightly so. Employees looking for stability are increasingly finding it through building multiple income streams and cultivating diverse skills and professional networks that can be deployed in orthogonal ways. The world of following a single, linear path through one function or industry (let alone one company) is long gone. Summer Jackson is an assistant professor of management in the Organizational Behavior Unit at HBS. Diversity, equity, and inclusion will continue to be crucial factors for organizational success in 2024. However, achieving DEI success is not easy and requires considerable effort and advance planning.
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