The COVID-19 pandemic transformed the way people work. During the early days, most employees worked from home, though as people slowly made their way back into the office, a new work model emerged—the Hybrid Work Model.
In this post, we’ll explore the hybrid model and its main pros and cons.
What is a Hybrid Work Model?
A hybrid work model allows employees to divide their working days between the office and remotely, such as working from home, at a coffee shop, or in a coworking space. The individual company dictates how often employees need to come into the office, if at all.
This model offers the best of both worlds by combining the flexibility and autonomy of remote work with the face-to-face interaction and collaboration of traditional office work.
Hybrid workplace pros
1. Increased Flexibility
One of the biggest advantages of a hybrid work model is the increased flexibility it offers to employees. They have more control over their work environment, which can lead to higher job satisfaction and improved work-life balance.
2. Cost Savings
According to USAToday, remote workers save an average of $4,000 annually. The primary savings come from not having to commute to work daily.
A shift to a hybrid work model also helps employers reduce costs in the following ways:
- Savings in office space rentals
- Savings in electricity bills
- Reduction in cleaning services
A hybrid work model can be much more cost-effective for the worker and the employer.
Companies can save on overhead costs such as rent and utilities for physical office space by allowing employees to work remotely part-time. This can also translate into savings for employees who no longer commute daily.
3. Improved Productivity
Studies show that employees who can choose where they work are more productive. This is because they can tailor their work environment to suit their needs and preferences, leading to better focus and motivation.
4. Better Work-Life Balance
For many people, the option to work remotely part-time allows them to have a better balance between their personal and professional lives. They have the flexibility to attend to personal responsibilities without sacrificing productivity at work.
5. Reduced Commute Time
One of the biggest benefits for employees in a hybrid work model is the reduced commute time. With less commuting time, employees have more time for other activities, which can improve overall well-being.
6. Happier Employees
The biggest benefit of a hybrid workplace is undoubtedly happier employees. Since the pandemic, many employees have been working from home and loving it. Apart from the freedom of dictating your s (to a certain extent), not having to commute is often cited as the top WFH benefit. According to a recent survey, 1 in 4 workers has quit their jobs due to long commutes.
Remote work doesn’t have to always mean working from home either. The flexibility to work at a coffee shop or even a coworking space sometimes further boosts employee morale. Statistics reveal that 89% of people who joined a coworking space, for example, feel happier.
7. Increased Productivity
In the past, a hybrid work model was viewed as a recipe for failure. Most managers believed that workers must work under supervision to be productive. But recent data proves the opposite.
A study by Mercer involving 800 employees revealed that 94% of the participants felt that productivity was at least the same, if not higher, when working remotely vs. at the office. A 2-year study by Stanford looking at the productivity of people working from home also showed surprising benefits. It found that WFH employees were much more likely to work a full day daily than people who came into the office.
8. Decreases Intrapersonal Conflicts
Seeing the same people repeatedly can be very stressful, even if they are your closest friends. You can’t choose who to see at work daily, which often leads to intrapersonal conflicts.
With a hybrid work model, you can find respite from toxic people when working from home, giving you the space and peace of mind to focus on your work instead of avoiding or resolving people’s issues. To many people, this is one of the biggest advantages of a hybrid work model.
9. Safer Work Environment
The COVID-19 pandemic was perhaps the world economy’s biggest threat. Even as vaccination took effect, health experts believed that social distancing measures still needed to be practiced in the foreseeable future as variants evade current vaccines.
A hybrid work model is much safer during any pandemic, as it means employees who suspect they are sick can work in isolation at home, reducing the risk of spreading any virus to other employees. Social distancing is also much easier to implement in a hybrid work model by controlling the number of people that come into the office daily.
Hybrid workplace cons
A hybrid work model isn’t all rainbows and sunshine, however. Here are the biggest disadvantages of this emerging work model.
1. Employee Burnout
Left unchecked and with little or no supervision, a hybrid work model can slowly lead to employee burnout. This is because setting boundaries while working from home is very difficult. The temptation to work late into the night and wake up at 10 am or even 11 am is always there, disrupting your sleep schedule. Distraction is also an ever-constant factor if you have other family members present in the house during the day. Eventually, work starts to pile up as you try to balance work and home life, leading to burnout.
Working remotely can become more stressful for people who lack self-discipline.
2. Increased Employee Isolation
A very common complaint of people working at home is a sense of isolation. At the office, there’s always someone to interact with, tell jokes, or catch up on the latest office gossip. As social creatures, frequent mental stimulation and interaction with people are essential for our overall well-being.
According to a report from CNBC, as the COVID-19 pandemic drags on, remote workers are increasingly feeling more isolated and lonely, leading to mental health issues such as depression.
3. Heightened Cyber Risks
With a hybrid work model, embracing technology is inevitable, and with technology comes security risks. Employees working from home are especially vulnerable to security threats and data loss due to more relaxed security protocols at home.
Securing employees’ computers can be a costly venture for businesses. It means providing proper training, always updating remote computers, and enforcing tight passports. A comprehensive backup procedure also needs to be deployed.
4. Not practical for all institutions
And finally, a hybrid work model simply isn’t practical for certain types of businesses. Any type of institution that relies heavily on in-person interactions, such as banks, hospitals, and retail, will likely suffer heavily by allowing employees to work remotely.
In addition, it’s important to consider the potential impact on company culture. With employees physically separated, maintaining a strong sense of camaraderie and teamwork may be challenging. Regular team-building activities and communication efforts should keep remote workers connected and engaged with their colleagues.
Conclusion
A hybrid work model combines working from home and working at the office to create an environment that can satisfy both employers and their workers.
