Employee Work Schedules - Hybrid or Remote - Defined
With Hybrid and Remote Work being talked about so much, it's helpful to clearly understand the difference, because today, it's happening everywhere.
According to a recent Forrester research report, about 70% of companies will be adopting flexible hybrid-work schedules this year. They are expecting these organizations to allow their employees to spend at least two days working remotely.
This report also acknowledges that allowing remote and even a hybrid work schedule is not possible for every organization or job.
So what exactly is Hybrid vs Remote work? What's the difference?
Remote work:
Remote work, or a more common term - working from home, is a flexible working arrangement that allows employees to work from a remote location outside of the traditional office setting, usually the employee's home. Remote work schedules can be temporary or permanent based on the work being done or the needs of the organization. This could apply to part-time or full-time employees.
Remote work does not dictate where the work must be done. Employees are given the flexibility to choose where to work, their home, a coffee shop, or any other location. It basically just means their work is not done in the office.
When an employee is said to be working from home, it often refers to a temporary situation, such as a personal requirement that will change shortly. A remote employee is different and implies that the employee's work is be done remotely according to their schedule.
Hybrid work:
Hybrid work refers to a flexible work schedule that combines on-site and remote work. This type of schedule provides for time in the office for some days in the office, with remote work for the balance. Giving employees a mix of both in-office and remote work is good for the employee's work-life balance and is good for the business.
Some organization may need to experiment with setting hybrid work schedules. Employees may not like the idea of their hybrid schedules being set by their employer.
With workers asking for more flexibility in their work schedule, they want to be empowered to figure out which days they should be in the office, and which days they can be remote, to be the most effective, and makes the most sense. The key is to keep the number of days employees are to work remote or on-site, as flexible as possible.
For most companies, an individual's in-office and remote work schedule will be flexible and determined by the employee and their manager. It will not be set on a company-wide basis.
Productivity Concerns with Remote or Hybrid Work Schedules
Initially, many companies feared a loss of productivity as they began hybrid or remote working. However, recent research has eliminated that fear by showing that for most workers, productivity has either stayed the same, or has increased during their transition to remote work. Employee teams working remotely have also seen higher productivity, plus reduced overhead costs.
Organizations are beginning to recognize that on-site face-time does not equate to better performance. At the same time, companies should not lower their standards, but should keep their bar high on performance.
How Hybrid Work can help stop the Great Resignation
Click Here to See this article about the How to Stop the Great Resignation of 2022. Organizations need to understand what's happening with their employees and why so many feel the need to quit. This article addresses some major transformative changes companies can make to not only stop the resignations of current employees, but to transform into the kind of organization that can attract quality talent.
The Importance of Recognition with Remote Workers
As you transition to Remote or Hybrid work schedules, be sure to incorporate Recognition Awards and Appreciation gifts throughout your new work-schedule strategy. Select-Your-Gift makes recognizing remote employees easy.
See the many opportunities for Incentive and Recognition programs