While the pandemic upended the culture of the 9-5 hours in the office, technology has long assisted businesses in creating more flexible workplaces. Workplace communication tools, video conferencing, and cloud storage have made it easy to build some remote work into the workweek.
These tools have made many employees wonder why they can’t have it all and why shouldn’t they.
That’s where hybrid work comes in. It allows employers to efficiently manage the office space while giving employees more control over their schedules. In a hybrid work model, employees schedule work from home and on-site days. Because hybrid working is inherently flexible, you’ll want to implement a clear hybrid work policy to avoid confusion and maximise collaboration.
Learn more about how to design a hybrid work policy that works for everybody in this new era of working through this write up. And at the end we have provided a tip for your success in implementing a hybrid work policy: read on and find out!!!
Benefits of Hybrid Work to the Employee and the Employer
From the perspective of an employee
- Reduces workplace distractions
- Allows you to be more comfortable and, therefore, more creative
- Allows you to work whenever you want
- Optimise your time
- Improves work-life balance
From the perspective of an employer
- Allows for a wider talent pool
- Build opportunities for more diverse and inclusive teams
- Increases productivity
- Increases employee retention
- Fosters better employee collaboration
- Reduces money on rent and other office expenses
What is a Hybrid Work Policy?
A hybrid work policy is a flexible work environment that combines traditional and non-traditional working arrangements. It can include flexibility in terms of hours, location, and job duties.
When an organization adopts a hybrid work policy, they are allowing their employees the opportunity to do their work in ways that suit them best. This type of policy can be useful for employees who have children or other obligations outside of the office.
What should a hybrid work policy include?
Employees should be informed about your hybrid work policy, and you should answer any questions and clearly communicate working guidelines. This includes various timetable options as well as a clear delegation of approvals to establish and enforce norms.
Here is your hybrid work policy checklist,
- Why is your company going hybrid?
For employees to follow a new hybrid work policy, they need to be acknowledged of your intention for enacting it. Make sure you have a concise response. If you created the policy in collaboration with your employees, this part should be simple and obvious.
- Who is eligible?
Are all employees able to work on a hybrid schedule, or is it only for employees who meet certain criteria? And, if a specific criterion is required, what is it? Is it based on company longevity? Is there management approval? What about personal situations? Make this clear to employees so they know if they qualify.
- When should employees be on-site?
Establish a clear schedule for when employees can work remotely versus on-site. Some workplaces may have one large monthly meeting day that all employees must attend in person, with a more flexible schedule the rest of the time. Others may prefer that employees create strict schedules with their managers so that they know who will be where at any given time.
- What are the expectations?
What’s expected of employees when they’re working remotely, as opposed to on-site? Since you’re accommodating a more flexible schedule, the hours you may expect employees to work could shift. For example, you could establish “core hours” (e.g., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) during which employees should be available for meetings while maintaining flexible working hours beyond that.
- Where can employees learn more?
Post the policy on your internal workplace website or intranet, along with the links to resources. Don’t forget to hold a live meeting and/or “office hours” where people can drop in and ask questions of your HR and workplace team.
A Tip for Your Success
And here comes the tip you have been waiting for.
And that is “Desklog”
Desklog is an employee productivity and time tracking tool. You might wonder how an employee tracking tool helps you succeed with your hybrid work policy.
Relax, I will explain to you.
As already mentioned Desklog is an employee time and productivity tracking tool which helps you track employees throughout their working time. It provides advanced features like automatic time tracking, offline tracking, idle time tracking, app & URL tracking, and much more along with automated screenshots.
Now you may wonder if it is more like trespassing on employees’ privacy.
Definitely not. Desklog provides a calm and cool atmosphere where you can track your employees without interfering with their privacy.
Don’t believe it yet? I have discussed this with people who have used Desklog and let me share their experience with you.
Pavanan Gosh, the team lead shared his amazing experience while working with desklog. It made him hassle-free to assign tasks and manage his team efficiently while working on-site and working from home.
Abdul Gafoor, working in the Human Resource Department, said, “ I have always worried about how I could manage the employees when I am not available on-site. Thanks to Desklog. Implementing Desklog in our hybrid work policy helped me to manage all my employees proficiently. It made it easier to do almost every job effortlessly by tracking their working hours. And most importantly I never felt as if I was interfering their privacy.”
I hope you got to know the importance of using a time tracking tool in your work policy from their upfront experiences. I recommend you to try using this tool and make your hybrid working policy successful.
Conclusion
The COVID-19 pandemic provided the ideal test case for hybrid working — and it passed with flying colours and looks set to grow in popularity as more organisations adopt this highly adaptable approach.
By creating and implementing a hybrid-working policy, you not only protect yourself from future crises, but you also gain an advantage over competitors who use traditional workplace strategies.
I have given some important things to include in your hybrid work policy. Along with a tip to include in your policy. Follow them and give yourself the best chance to succeed.
