The fast-paced corporate world makes it difficult for professionals to balance professional and personal responsibilities. Coming in as the ray of light is a hybrid work schedule that makes nailing the balance much easier.
The rise of hybrid work schedules offers employees a new way to achieve a state of balance – the coveted work-life balance. This model combines remote work with in-office days.
Ever since the pandemic, this model of working in corporate has become the norm in many companies. This is largely due to the recognition of the benefits this model brings to the company and the employees.
The following section will look at the impact of a hybrid work schedule and the latest trends in the model. Also, tell us in the comments if you prefer the hybrid model.
What is a Hybrid Work Schedule?
A hybrid work schedule is a productive model allowing employees to split their time between working in the office and remotely. The latter is typically from home, but there can be variations as seen in a section below.
Personally favored by this author, let me tell you more about it! This model not only makes it easier for employees to have a better work-life balance but also allows them to schedule their work based on preferences, needs, and job requirements.
Here are a few typical arrangements that help employees strike that work-life Zen:
- The 3:2 model of working three days in the office and two days remotely – can also be vice-versa depending on the requirement
- Flexible days is another lucrative model where the freedom to choose a work setting is with the employees. They can pick the days they wish to work remotely from the office.
- Alternating weeks are also popular among many working individuals as they allow them to spend one week working in an office and the other working remotely.
- If you’re from the traditional corporate setting, this concept would seem odd as so many questions are running through your head. How do they monitor it? Who keeps an eye? (No one is required to do so as flexibility brings accountability, too.) Does it actually help? You will get an answer to all of these questions below!
How does a hybrid work schedule bring work-life balance?
Popularly known as attaining corporate Zen, strategies such as introducing a hybrid work schedule allow the employee to find harmony between one’s professional and personal life.
As a result, Zen employees experience a significant reduction in stress (I can vouch for it), better productivity (this, too!), and overall well-being.
See, this isn’t some magic pill that solves all your problems in one go. You need to work towards bringing that balance into your life. It’s best to experiment with a few models in this schedule and find the one that works best for you. That is the one true way of finding this sought-after balance – take it from one employee to another.
How Does a Hybrid Work Schedule Help? | Contribution to Work-Life Balance
The hybrid work schedule helps you improve your professional performance and personal life in several ways. Here are some key contributions:
Provides the Flexibility to Manage Professional and Personal Life
A hybrid work schedule allows employees to control more of their time. This way you can manage professional responsibilities and take care of personal duties. You were doing that without this flexibility, too, but now, you do it without that stress.
Remote days help employees spend more time with their families while fulfilling their professional responsibilities. Whereas office days allow them to focus on team collaboration and maintaining professional development.
Reduces Commuting Stress
One of the primary reasons employees prefer a hybrid work schedule is this! Oh, my goodness, I cannot even begin to tell you it’s a relief to wake up after an in-office day and realize you do not have to go through the painstaking commute.
Yes, in-office days are great for collaboration, feedback, networking and so much more, but the commute takes away 90% of the energy. The energy that can be put into productivity.
If you ask your colleagues, I’m sure they’ll agree that even commuting drains their energy. It is even a primary contributor to work-related stress.
No one wants to take on the unnecessary stress that comes from commuting – from thinking about the best route back home to catching that bus mostly empty at that one golden hour. Too much for a corporate employee who just wants to recharge after a long day in the office.
A hybrid work schedule saves time in traffic or public transport and lowers stress. This gives the employees more focus and energy for personal activities and work.
Better Mental Health
This flexibility in the work schedule directly impacts the employees’ mental health. It reduces burnout and saves them from the guilt of spending less time with their family. I’ll share a small experience.
My first job, as first jobs go, wasn’t great – I did not know how to navigate through a professional setting and would feel stressed easily. It got to the point I was dreading going to work.
Thankfully, they introduced a flexible work schedule around the same time I thought of resigning due to the extreme stress. I was curious about getting that remote work experience, so I stayed a little longer.
I found that working in a hybrid model did not just help me manage my stress, but also made me resilient. The girl who had joined would easily become stressed, but this hybrid work schedule employee was delivering great work with her sanity intact!
That quarter I was awarded the certificate for the top performer of my team with the highest 5-star ratings! Not tooting my own horn, but I believe the flexible work schedule helped somewhere.
If you have been fortunate to experience this schedule, you’d know what I’m talking about. You do not feel overwhelmed as you can choose how and where to work to best suit your productivity – thus, creating an ideal work environment.
You automatically contribute to the company’s goals and improve your overall well-being. This screams work-life Zen to me! What do you think?
Boost in Productivity
One of the best parts about a hybrid work schedule is the potential you see come out of you! It’s almost as if in-office work prevented you from working to the best of your potential.
Yes, skeptics opine that flexibility reduces productivity and employees treat it as a day-off. It’s quite the opposite! There are fewer distractions, and you are working in a personalized environment to fit your productivity.
It gets you in the zone to focus and get work done with the best quality, think of it as one of the permanent productivity hacks!
With a hybrid work schedule, you can complete tasks more efficiently. When this meets in-office collaboration, there’s an enhancement in team and individual productivity.
So, what are your thoughts about a hybrid work schedule? Do you find these relatable if you’re part of a flexible work schedule? Do you think it helps boost corporate wellness?
Latest Trends in Hybrid Work Schedules
The shift to a hybrid work schedule isn’t temporary. Yes, it started in response to the pandemic, but it is becoming permanent.
Many organizations are accepting it with wide arms and it’s evident. Here are some of the latest trends shaping hybrid work:
From corporate giants such as Apple, Salesforce, and Microsoft embracing this model, acceptance is reflected across the sector. Companies such as Google allow employees to work part-time from home – if you know an employee, ask them about their experience.
Smaller companies such as professional services and tech have also adopted hybrid schedules that recognize their ability to attract and retain top talent.
Bonus! How to Transition to a Hybrid Work Model?
If you are thinking of adopting a hybrid work schedule, here are a few tips for you:
- Clearly define your policies: When you are thinking of making a transition to the hybrid work model you must lay out concrete policies. This ensures there is no room for miscommunication and that you are getting everyone on the same page. Moreover, you also outline the expectations that they need to work on.
- Solicit feedback from your team: Before you throw the news on your team, it is best to get everyone together and discuss the idea. This helps you exchange opinions on this model and schedule what’s closest to the team’s needs. Ask for feedback on the model and see how the transition is going – how can you support them?
- Seamless collaboration with software: When you have the right resources, you ensure that your team is seamlessly connected. This can be communication, productivity, and other helpful tools that enable this transition, hassle-free.
This will also introduce seamless communication between the members, irrespective of the time zones, enabling the success of the hybrid model. - Virtual conference to fit hybrid needs: When your team is in sync with each other, there is asynchronous communication that makes it easy for everyone. You can equip rooms with virtual conference technology so that those working remotely can stay connected during important meetings and not feel left out.
- Maintain Company Culture: This is an important aspect of your transition as this will ensure alignment with your company culture. Provide necessary training on effective communication and delegation so that remote workers receive equitable opportunities.
These steps will help you make a smooth transition to the hybrid model and ensure there is no deterrence.
So, Is Hybrid Work Schedule the Future of Corporate?
Evidence strongly suggests it is going to be the future of corporate! From the benefits to employees and those that employers and company will reap, there’s hardly any sign of it backfiring.
Of course, the implementation of this model requires equal efforts from employees and employers. But all in all, chances are by the end of the financial year, a hybrid work schedule will be omnipresent across various sectors. Of course, it will take a lot of planning and trial and error, but it isn’t impossible!
What is your hot take on the future of flexibility in the workplace – will it fly?
Challenges of Managing Hybrid Settings in the Workplace
Despite being a futuristic approach, there are possible challenges that employers may encounter when thinking of making the transition. These are due to several factors which hold both the organization and employees accountable. Here are some challenges:
- Work-life imbalance due to poor boundaries where remote workers may have to work beyond their hours because their supervisor said so. This leads to poor employee relations and well-being which further impacts productivity.
- Scheduling issues when your company majorly relies on manual processes may make it difficult to overcome technical, social, and collaborative barriers.
- Collaborative barriers become hard to overcome without proper measures. Remote employees may even experience serious corporate FOMO.
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