3 things to consider when creating a hybrid workplace

Creating a hybrid workplace is challenging – there are several aspects we should take into consideration. Leaders and employees must work together to form a safe, efficient work environment. 

Here are 3 factors we should think about:

1. Health and safety of employees

To make sure that the home-office environment is appropriate for working, we can create a questionnaire or check the workspace by video call. If we plan to maintain remote working in the long run, there are some questions we should clarify:

• Does the worker have a suitable desk, chair, or work area and suitable work equipment? 
• Do they need additional adjustments, tools, or equipment, such as display screen glasses, or a raised monitor? 
• Does the worker have any existing health concerns that need additional management or monitoring? 
• How does the work setup affect other members of the household? Are children and visitors (or even pets) at risk? 
• Is the worker able to take regular breaks? 
• Is the worker aware of the need for correct posture, wrist, and back support? 
• If the worker uses a phone, is their exposure to noise-related risks being managed? 
• Does the work area present any trip or fire hazards? 
• If the worker needs to carry or move document boxes or other heavy items, have they received manual handling training? Can they be stored safely at the worker’s home?

2. Career

One of the biggest disadvantages of remote working is its effect on workers’ career. An American study found that 42% of managers are bound to „sometimes forget” about remote workers when assigning tasks. Employees who work from home are 50% less likely to get a promotion. To prevent this, we can use Slack, Trello, or other team management tools. Creating objective standards to measure performance is also essential.

3. Effect on in-office employees

We have to consider the effects of hybrid working on in-office workers, too. They might have difficulties with maintaining work-life balance, communicating with remote workers, and if home office is perceived as a privilege, it can also cause frustration. We should do what we can to resolve these issues.
Using Zoom, Skype, Teams, Google calendar and team management software, we can communicate effectively. It can also be a good idea to have social gatherings via Zoom or Skype – this way team cohesion is maintained.

Creating a hybrid workplace requires flexibility and teamwork from leaders and workers. We should reflect on feedback from employees and be attentive of the needs of home and in-office workers equally.

The original blog post is available here.