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Hybrid work policy: a step-by-step guide and best practices.

Senior Content Marketing Manager

March 14, 2024

Remote work was a lifeline during the pandemic. But as the world emerges from several years of social distancing, more folks are returning to the office.

Remote work is great for work-life balance and employee well-being. However, meeting face-to-face on occasion has its perks, too. If you’re not ready to mandate a 100% return to in-person work full-time, then a hybrid work policy could be just the ticket. ✅

More organizations are embracing hybrid work policies to bridge the gap between employees’ desire for flexible work arrangements and management’s need to connect in person. With hybrid work, you allow the team to do a blend of remote and in-office days, usually on a predetermined schedule.

Hybrid work is a new frontier for most managers and HR pros, so if you haven’t written a hybrid work policy before, don’t worry. 

In this guide, we’ll break down the key components of a hybrid policy and share a list of tools to help you create effective policies for your hybrid team. 

Understanding Hybrid Work Policies

Key components of a hybrid work policy, develop the policy, get management buy-in, communicate with employees, implement the policy, adjust as you go, hybrid work policy in the context of human resource management.

• Integrating Employee Training and Development in Hybrid/Remote Work Policies

Tools to Help Create Hybrid Work Policies

Evaluating the success of hybrid work policies.

A hybrid work policy is a written framework that spells out how your organization balances in-person and remote work. This documentation gives employees the flexibility to work in your office space for face-to-face collaboration or remotely from their home office . 🏡

But should everyone come into the office at the same time? Or does everyone get to set their own in-office hours? Hybrid work is incredibly flexible and open to interpretation, so it’s a good idea to document it so all team members are on the same page. 

However, these documents are tricky because every organization approaches flexible work arrangements differently. One company’s policy might allow employees to work remotely a few days a week, while another might offer arrangements where remote work is the norm and they only meet on-site as needed.

Hybrid work arrangements are also tricky because they require a different management approach. Instead of connecting in person to ensure team members are being productive, you have to embrace a results-oriented approach that focuses more on employee performance and output.

This is a different way of doing things, to be sure. But focusing on real productivity empowers employees to manage their own work schedules, boosting their autonomy, engagement, and job satisfaction . The absence of micromanaging alone can work wonders for your company culture and retention rates. 🤩

Be sure to consider the legal implications when you write a hybrid work policy. It needs to comply with all employment laws, especially those related to work hours, part-time and full-time employment status, and remote work arrangements for people with disabilities. 

You also need to consider:

• Workday length
• Tax obligations, especially for remote employees in other states or countries
• Eligible employees

When in doubt, run your hybrid work schedule and policies by the legal department to make sure everything’s on the up and up.

Every org does hybrid work differently, but you still need to include these sections, at a minimum, in your hybrid work policy: 

• Eligibility criteria: Define which positions are eligible for remote work. For example, data entry is a great fit for hybrid, while it’s nearly impossible to do customer-facing job duties from home. You also need clear guidelines on acceptable remote work locations. You can require your team to have a dedicated home office that meets certain privacy or safety standards

• Work hours: Flexibility is awesome, but sometimes you need everyone online simultaneously for collaborative work and team meetings. Specify your work schedule in the policy, including work hours and days of the week they’re expected to come in person. For instance, are employees expected to be available during standard business hours, or is there room for flexibility as long as they do their work? 
• Communication guidelines: Document which remote work tools you’ll use to stay in touch. Popular options include Slack, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and ClickUp . Set expectations for response times and the appropriate use of video conferencing versus messaging 💻
• Productivity measures: Hybrid work doesn’t typically assess employees by work hours but by their performance. That’s why your hybrid work policy also needs to establish employee performance metrics. Develop a system for regular check-ins and one-on-one meetings to ensure employees meet their targets and have the support they need

Implementing a Hybrid Work Policy

A hybrid work policy isn’t something you should spring on your team out of the blue. Follow these steps to successfully implement a hybrid work policy that keeps your team happy, balanced, and productive. 🧘

Even if you already have an unofficial hybrid work policy, it’s a good idea to step back and assess whether things are working. If you don’t have a policy, evaluate your current work environment to determine what type of hybrid arrangement would work best. 

This is your chance to create a custom hybrid work model. Instead of following other hybrid work policy examples too closely, create something that best fits your organization’s approach to work. 📝

This preliminary plan should outline the structure of the hybrid work arrangement, including work hours, work locations, and flexible work options. Work on the policy internally to get it as clean as possible, double-checking that it aligns with legal standards and human resource guidelines. 

This is the biggie. Senior management, the C-suite, or your board of directors has to approve the hybrid work policy. There’s a good chance they’ll have feedback about your plan, so don’t be afraid to go back to the drawing board until it’s perfect. The more management supports your hybrid work policies, the smoother the rollout will be. 

Once the higher-ups agree on the hybrid policy, it’s time to share the plan with employees. Instead of blurting out, “Hey, we have a totally new work arrangement!” on Slack, try to have a little more finesse. This is a big change, especially if you’ve been working remotely, so create a thoughtful communication plan for announcing the new hybrid policy. 📣

Send a company-wide email providing detailed information on the policy, including the full text and bullet-point highlights. Employees will understandably have a lot of questions, so consider proactively scheduling Q&A sessions to address any concerns. 

You’ll need the necessary infrastructure to make hybrid work, well, work. You’ll likely need a VPN and communication tools like Slack or Zoom that work remotely and in-office. 

Consider pulling your work into an all-in-one hybrid work software solution like ClickUp so employees have access to everything, no matter where they’re working. ✨

Hybrid work is a new concept for some companies. Implementing a radical new policy like this is likely going to hit a few snags. Regularly review the effectiveness of your hybrid model and make adjustments based on team feedback and business needs. 

Hybrid arrangements are tougher to pull off than fully remote-only or on-site-only work arrangements. 

So why go hybrid at all? 🤷

The short answer is that employees want hybrid work. 

Hybrid work policies have a big influence on your ability to recruit solid employees and build a healthy workplace culture. Today’s job seekers value flexibility and work-life balance, and hybrid work policies are a huge selling point. 🙌

Plus, hybrid culture focuses more on employee output and autonomy, leading to higher employee engagement—a must for long-term retention. 

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) also work nicely with hybrid work policies. You can tweak your EAPs to address the unique challenges of remote workers and hybrid employees, like isolation, work-life balance, and even home office ergonomics. 

EAPs can offer resources and tools to help employees adapt to your hybrid work model, including time management and productivity workshops, which directly affect employee performance.

Integrating Employee Training and Development in Hybrid/ Remote Work Policies

Carefully communicating the shift to a hybrid work setup is great, but if you really want employees to succeed, train them. Your team won’t be together all the time, so it’s important to go the extra mile to offer professional development to your team, regardless of where they work. 

For one, some employees will probably benefit from technology training. Not everyone is savvy with tools like Microsoft Teams or Slack. A few training sessions will help both you and your employees get more value out of the tools you’re already paying for. 🛠️

Aside from technology, continuous skill development is a great way to boost employee performance and motivation in a hybrid environment. For example, regular project management training will keep your PMs up-to-date on the latest strategies for managing profitable projects.

Most managers are new at managing hybrid teams, so require all of your leaders to go through specialized training on hybrid management best practices. A lot of leaders are familiar with the “butts in seats” management style, which will only derail a hybrid team’s success. 

Regular training will get management more comfortable with the hands-off hybrid approach, supporting employee autonomy and a shift toward performance-first work management . 

Bonus: Office space planning software !

Creating a hybrid work policy normally takes a few documents, spreadsheets, and napkin scribbles. That’s a recipe for rework and disorganization, which is why companies use ClickUp to create, share, and implement hybrid work policies in record time. 🏎️

ClickUp is much more than a remote work tool . It’s a hybrid work solution designed for deploying and efficiently managing a hybrid workforce, whether they’re in the office or miles apart. 

Centralize communication, task management, and documentation in a single user-friendly platform. All ClickUp Workspaces are customizable, so you have the freedom to tailor the digital environment however you like. 

Rely on ClickUp’s robust, remote-friendly features to keep your hybrid team on the same page.

• Brainstorm with ease: Instead of committing to a written policy you know will change later, brainstorm your hybrid work policy first in a ClickUp Whiteboard . Your entire HR and leadership team can collaborate on it remotely in real time, turning your ideas into actionable policies. Best of all, Whiteboards convert into projects, Docs, or tasks with just a few clicks 💡

• Write it down: There’s no need to flip between document storage and cloud collaboration platforms. ClickUp combines real-time collaboration and storage with ClickUp Docs . Build gorgeous Docs and connect them with your projects or workflows to make hybrid work policies more actionable
• Grab a time-saving template: Who says you need to create Docs or Whiteboards from scratch ClickUp offers pre-loaded templates for plug and play work. Use the ClickUp Work Plan Whiteboard Template to brainstorm your hybrid policy in real time and the ClickUp Policy Memo Template to share the new policy with your team

Hybrid work policies are the next stage of remote work . Hybrid work is a win-win situation as long as you implement it correctly. 🏆

But how do you know whether your hybrid work policies are actually successful? 

It’s important to check in on processes to make sure the new approach actually works. If it’s creating new headaches that hamper team progress, it’s probably time to make some changes. 

Of course, you’ll need data to understand whether your hybrid work arrangements are up to snuff. Create trackable ClickUp Goals to monitor: 

• Employee engagement
• Project progress

Create customized ClickUp Dashboards for the company as a whole, for an entire department, or by employee. You’ll be able to monitor real-time performance, regardless of where your team works for the day. 

Build Your Hybrid Workplace in ClickUp

Hybrid work gives you the culture-building benefits of in-person connection without compromising on flexibility. Hybrid work policies remove ambiguity and manage expectations, setting everyone up for long-term success. 

Sure, creating a new policy might take some time and effort, but it’s the best way to empower employees and run a more efficient business. 🎯

Yes, you can try to do it all by yourself. But when results matter, manage your hybrid team in ClickUp. Not only does this leading platform have the chops to write your hybrid policies, but it also manages projects, tasks, communications, Docs, templates, and everything in between for hybrid teams.

You don’t have to take our word for it, either. Give ClickUp a try for yourself. Create your free ClickUp Workspace now.

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Hybrid Work Policy Template (+ Real Policies Analyzed)

There’s no question that hybrid work is having a moment. Because it balances working in-office with working at home, it is an attractive alternative for companies that want to be more flexible in their scheduling but are unwilling or perhaps unable to fully commit to going remote.

But while many organizations are interested in shifting to a hybrid model, they may not know exactly how to develop or implement it.

We studied real hybrid work policies of six organizations to see what they included. Below, we’ve included links to these policies so you can take a look; we’ve also added takeaways from each. You’ll also find three general hybrid work policy templates at the very bottom to help guide you through crafting your own. After our research, we created our own hybrid work policy template you can customize and take with you.

Use the links below to jump to a section that interests you.

• Customizable hybrid policy template
• Real hybrid work policies
• Hybrid policy templates

Hybrid Work Policy Template

Disclaimer: This template is not legal advice. Please advise your HR or legal team first to determine the right language and structure of your policy depending on your type of organization, employee status, and labor laws in your state or country.

Want to make this hybrid work policy template your own? Make a copy of this Google Doc (File > Make a copy).

Real Hybrid Work Policies

We’ve compiled six hybrid work policy samples and highlighted key points you can take away from each. Many of the policies are from colleges and universities, which we found interesting. This article goes into more detail about why higher education may be so quick to embrace a hybrid model, including the interesting suggestion that they’re trying to future-proof themselves against further trouble that may interrupt in-school learning.

New York University’s hybrid work policy

Sections Included:

• Statement of policy
• To whom the policy applies
• Definitions
• Hybrid/remote classification structure
• General considerations for hybrid/remote work approval
• Guidelines for approval of hybrid/remote work
• Positions classified as mostly remote or positions performed from another state outside of the NYC Tri-State Area
• Other considerations
• Management and continued approval of hybrid/remote work
• Equipment required for hybrid/remote work – employee provided
• Equipment failure
• Occupational injuries with hybrid/remote work

Policy Statement:

This Policy establishes guidelines for Hybrid/Remote Work for covered employees of New York University in New York (hereinafter, “NYU” or “the University”) and supersedes the Telecommuting Policy.

Visit the policy

Gettysburg College’s hybrid and remote policy

• Types of work arrangements
• Eligibility
• Request and approval
• Employee responsibilities
• Safeguarding of confidential information
• In-home interruptions/dependent care
• Remote work agreement

Recognized as “a great place to work” by The Chronicle of Higher Education, ensuring the Gettysburg College employee work environment remains supportive, flexible, and equitable for all employees is an institutional priority. In order to meet the reality of 21st-century work, the College is establishing and supporting this remote work policy.

Wagner College’s hybrid policy sample

• Purpose and scope
• Hybrid work arrangement policy statement
• Positions and employees eligible for hybrid work arrangement
• General expectations and conditions
• Request for hybrid work arrangement
• Equipment and materials
• Modification or termination of alternative work arrangement
• Travel expenses
• Assistance with this policy
• Policy authority

In accordance with the guidelines set forth in this Hybrid Work Arrangement Policy, the purpose of this policy is to describe the hybrid work arrangement that may be available to certain employees in appropriate circumstances. This policy applies to hybrid work for certain exempt and nonexempt employees that are expected to remain in place for a set period of time and will be reviewed annually.

University of Kentucky’s policy

• Furniture, equipment, and supplies
• Internet and other costs
• Data protection and information security

These interim guidelines shall be effective beginning July 1, 2021. As President Eli Capilouto communicated to the university on June 10, 2022, these guidelines remain in place as a Work Location Workgroup continues researching and exploring ideas as well as providing recommendations on how work location can support our institutional mission and efforts to advance the state.

New York Power Authority’s hybrid policy

• Remote working requirements
• Flexible schedules
• Performance and productivity oversight
• Reasonable accommodations
• Contingent workers and consultants
• Health and safety

1.1. The Hybrid Work Guidelines (the “Guidelines”) set forth the general procedures and requirements for the New York Power Authority (NYPA).

1.2. The Guidelines may be amended at any time in response to changes in relevant health and safety guidance from federal, state, and local authorities and in response to business needs.

1.3. The period through which employees may be eligible to work remotely will extend until further notice, when the remote program will be reviewed.

Boise State University’s policy

• Scope and audience
• Policy purpose
• Policy statement
• General expectations
• Annual telecommuting-hybrid agreement
• American With Disabilities Act (ADA) reasonable accommodation
• Alternative worksite safety
• Commute time and paid travel
• Workplace environment
• Information technology security, equipment, and other costs
• Outside employment
• Liability and workers’ compensation insurance
• Resident taxing for states outside of Idaho
• Other federal and state laws
• Discontinuing a telecommuting-hybrid agreement
• Return of university property
• Costs, damages, or lost property

This policy applies to all Telecommuting-Hybrid requests for a Classified or Professional Employee to work at an Alternate Work Location for a specified number of hours or days per week.

Hybrid Work Policy Templates

Now that you’ve seen hybrid work policies in action, you may be ready to start working on your own. We’ve got you covered there, too — we sourced hybrid work policy templates from several companies . They provide a general structure for you to follow, as well as details to keep in mind while you craft your policy.

Workshop’s hybrid work policy template

• Who is eligible for hybrid and remote work
• Working hours, attendance, and availability
• Communication
• Environment
• Performance expectations
• Security and confidentiality
• Termination of agreement
• Work agreement

Policy statement:

This policy serves as a guide to help all of our employees to help understand the expectations of flexible working at [Company Name], and feel well-supported throughout their experience. We have continued to update this policy based on employee feedback, and encourage any questions or comments!

Visit the template

Indeed’s hybrid & remote work policy template

Sections included:

• Eligible positions and employees
• Remote work expectations
• Legal considerations for hourly remote employees
• Remote tools, equipment and supplies
• Technical support options
• Guidelines for setting up employee work environments
• Security and confidentiality rules
• Any required travel
• Salary and pay
• Consequences

This remote work policy establishes guidelines for employees who work from a location other than our (office, building, worksite, etc.). Remote work can (list of benefits remote work will bring to your business — e.g., improve productivity, reduce office and parking space, reduce traffic congestion, enhance work/life balance, protect the health and safety of employees during COVID-19).

Activtrak’s Hybrid Policy Template

• Policy overview
• Company policy and eligibility
• Specific terms
• Resources for remote employees

Our hybrid work policy outlines guidelines for employees who work from a combination of in-office and remote locations, either on a permanent or temporary basis. The purpose of this policy document is to clearly define expectations to ensure that both employees and [our company] will benefit from this hybrid work arrangement.

Creating a hybrid work policy

Ultimately, your hybrid policy will depend on your company’s specific needs. You can learn more about the different types of hybrid schedules in this post or educate yourself further on the differences between fully remote and hybrid work.

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Hybrid Work Policies: 4 Best Examples for Strong teams+template

Hybrid work policies are a key consideration for almost all companies operating in the post-COVID world.

In 2023, a study discovered that 74% of companies in the United States either use or want to start using a permanent hybrid work model. Also, 44% of employees in the US like the idea of a hybrid work model, while 51% of employers do. So, this is the hybrid model — team members work between 1 and 4 days from a remote location and attend the corporation’s office space on the remaining days.

Although a hybrid work model is not a new idea, the volume of positions offering it is. So, with this comes a need for many corporations and HR professionals to formalize their hybrid work policies.

In this article, you’ll find:

• 4 examples of hybrid work policies
• the difference between hybrid and flexible work arrangements
• statistics on hybrid working, 100% remote employees, and in-person work
• a free copy/paste hybrid work policy template

But first, let’s clarify the difference between a hybrid workplace and flexible working.

Flexible vs Hybrid Work Policies

Hybrid workers split their time between a remote office location – usually their home office – and the company office. A hybrid work schedule usually takes the form of 1-4 days working from the remote office location. So, for the remaining work hours, the staff members work from the physical office. However, in some cases, a hybrid workspace may allow for other hybrid arrangements. For example, team members may only come in for team meetings but otherwise work remotely. Thus, the hybrid work model is always about the location of work.

In contrast, flexible work policies pertain to location and hours of work, including part-time hours. So, a flexible work policy example could be a team member with young children finishing work at a time that allows them to collect their children from school.

In addition, flexible work arrangements are often considered on a case-by-case basis. But they are also common to many industries or to a particular position. For example, in real estate, it is common for agents to have an office, be out of the office doing viewings, and work varying hours. So, these positions and industries appeal to workers who like the freedom of setting their own hours. Also, it appeals to those who prefer not to be tied down to one location on a regular basis.

Important stats to note about Hybrid Work Policies:

Fun fact: In the UK, companies must consider an employee’s request for flexible working arrangements and can only deny it based on specific guidelines.

In the US, 80 million workers are engaged in flexible work (the workforce totals approximately 166.95 million ). But, a hybrid work environment may represent the future of work:

The hybrid model is expected to grow from 42% (2021) to 81% (2024). Is corporate America ready for The Future of Work? by Kennedy Pereira

Remote working – where employees are never expected to attend in person – has declined in the years following COVID. So, 16% of the workforce works entirely in a remote environment. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Computer and IT sector leads the industries in this arena.

Hybrid Work Policies: Examples

Now we have an understanding of the differences between hybrid work policies, flexible work policies, and remote work arrangements, let’s take a look at 4 examples of hybrid work policies.

Fordham University – Hybrid Work Policy

Wagner University – Hybrid Work Policy

Patriot Software – Hybrid Work Policy Template

Trucking HR Canada – Hybrid Arrangements excerpt

Hybrid Work Policies: Template [copy & paste]

You can use this hybrid policy template to create your own hybrid policy. But remember that writing a hybrid work policy is only the first step. So, the hybrid arrangements policy must be distributed and communicated effectively to your team members.

Company Statement

Write about your company’s position on in-person, hybrid, and remote work. For example:

• in-person preferable
• hybrid is encouraged
• 100% remote opportunities for some positions

Eligibility

If employees need to meet certain criteria to be eligible to work remotely, list those requirements here. For example:

• past performance

Expectations

• state when the employees are expected to be in the physical office
• explain productivity expectations
• be specific about special events that will require in-person attendance

The more detail in this section, the better.

In this section, include information on technology and access to the physical office. For example:

• corporate laptops

Communication and Accessibility

Let your employees know how they will be contacted and how accessible they must be. For example:

• contactable by company cell phone and Zoom during office hours
• must have the ability to join an unscheduled video meeting without notice
• must adhere to a strict one on one meeting schedule once per week

How to Apply/Learn More

Let your team members know who to contact to apply or to obtain more information on the policy.

Why Hybrid Work Policies Benefit Business

Still unsure? Consider these points in favor of hybrid work schedules:

• An increase in work-life balance leads to more satisfied employees
• People working in more comfortable and personalized settings leads to higher productivity and also efficiency
• Less in-person employees reduces overhead costs for the business
• More options for employee schedules and locations creates access to a wider talent pool
• Satisfied, productive people engage more and retention is improved (another cost-saver)

Embracing the Best of Both: Hybrid Work Policies

In today’s fast-paced work world, more and more professionals are choosing hybrid work setups. Thus, combining the flexibility of remote work with the familiarity of the office. So, here are some examples of hybrid work policies that strike the right balance.

1. Flexible Schedules for Everyone

One popular hybrid work policy lets employees choose when and where they work. In effect, a whopping 98% of professionals prefer having the option to include remote work in their long-term careers. So, this means you can tackle your tasks from the comfort of your home. Or you can also collaborate with colleagues in the office. It’s up to you!

2. Positive Vibes with Remote Work

Imagine having a work setup that makes you happy. Well, 91% of professionals say they’ve had a positive experience with remote work. So, some hybrid policies allow employees to spend a few days each week working from home, fostering a positive work-life balance. Therefore, it’s a win-win situation!

3. Balancing Act: The Hybrid Model

Nearly half of employees, around 46%, are following the hybrid model. So, this means they split their time between the office and remote locations. Thus, it’s like having the best of both worlds. So, you get the team spirit of the office. And you also get the freedom of working from wherever suits you best.

4. Tradition Meets Modernity: On-Site Work

While the hybrid approach is gaining popularity, about 34.3% of people still stick to the traditional entirely work model. Some jobs require a hands-on presence and for these professionals, being in the office every day is the norm.

5. Embracing the WFH Lifestyle

For a smaller but notable group, a 19.7% slice of the workforce, full work-from-home (WFH) arrangements are the way to go. So, these employees have fully embraced the idea of conducting business from the comfort of their own homes.

Why are hybrid work policies important?

In today’s evolving work landscape, having a strong hybrid work policy is crucial for businesses. It adapts to the rise of remote work, attracting and retaining top talent. So, best practices involve considering employees’ personal preferences and maintaining effective communication between in-office and remote workers.

Recent surveys show remote work is a lasting trend, making a hybrid work policy essential. So, it clarifies eligibility criteria, ensuring fairness. This policy promotes collaboration in hybrid teams, addressing challenges and fostering a greater work-life balance for employees.

In essence, a comprehensive hybrid work policy is a forward step for any business. It acknowledges diverse workforce needs while ensuring optimal productivity and employee satisfaction. So, embrace a holistic approach for a resilient and adaptive workplace.

Key Considerations for Implementing Hybrid Work Policies

It’s essential to carefully navigate the implementation of a Hybrid Work Policy. Consider these key aspects to ensure a smooth transition that aligns with both business needs and employee satisfaction.

1. Define Eligibility Criteria:

Start by clearly outlining who among your employees is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement. This not only sets expectations but also ensures fairness across the board. So, consider factors like job duties, performance, and the nature of work.

2. Foster Effective Communication:

Effective communication is the glue that holds hybrid teams together. Therefore, you must clearly show how communication will flow between office and remote workers. So, leverage tools like video calls and Microsoft Teams to bridge the gap and maintain a cohesive company culture.

3. Address Challenges Proactively:

Anticipate and address potential challenges. From video conferencing hurdles to the need for face-to-face interaction, tackle these issues head-on. 

4. Flexibility for Personal Preferences:

Know that each employee is unique. So, allow room for personal preferences within the hybrid work policy. This could mean choosing the best place to work, whether it’s at home, a coffee shop, or in the office.

5. Time Management and Work Week Structure:

Create a hybrid schedule that balances the needs of the business and employees. So, consider setting a specific period of time for remote work while making sure that teamwork continues in the office. This helps in optimizing the work week for everyone.

6. Employee Feedback Loop:

Set up a way for employees to share their thoughts on the hybrid work rules. So, this will make them happier at work. Also, it will allow you to improve the rules based on what really happens.

7. Navigate Weather and Remote Environments:

Recognize issues like bad weather that could make commuting difficult. Also, make sure that people working from home have a good setup there. So, this not only helps them work better but also supports the balance between work and personal life that hybrid work offers.

8. Consider Family Dynamics:

When people work in a hybrid way, family life is also involved. Pay attention to how family members might affect someone’s work at home. This kind of inclusiveness makes a workplace culture that supports everyone.

Future of Hybrid Work

As we go into the future of work, there are many exciting possibilities and new ways of balancing our work and personal lives. So, moving towards hybrid work imore than just a trend. It’s also a big change that fits the changing needs of both companies and employees.

1. New Ways of Working:

The future of hybrid work means we’re changing how we work. It’s about figuring out the best way to work that fits the different needs of today’s workers. This might include a schedule that mixes working in the office with the freedom to work from home.

2. Evolution of Company Culture:

Companies are seeing a shift in their cultures. So, the hybrid work policy is crucial for creating a culture that values flexibility, good communication, and what employees prefer. Thus, it’s not just about the physical office but also about making people feel they belong whether or not they choose to work at the office or remotely.

3. Overcoming Challenges with Collective Solutions:

Understanding the main problems is important for overcoming obstacles. Therefore, working together on solutions, using good communication, and feedback, will be necessary to improve the hybrid work model.

4. Impact on Employee Satisfaction:

Hybrid work really affects how happy employees are. When companies let workers choose where they work, it helps employees feel valued and supported in their jobs.

5. Embracing Technology for Seamless Collaboration:

The future of hybrid work is connected to technology. So things like video calls and tools like Microsoft Teams are important for keeping good communication between people working from home and those in the office. Therefore, using technology like this helps everyone work together better, no matter where they are.

6. Adapting to Changing Work Environments:

Companies must adjust to different remote work settings, like home offices or coffee shops. So, whether it’s supporting home-based work or considering the preferences of those who like to move around in the office, being flexible matters.

7. Balancing Work-Life Dynamics:

The main idea of hybrid work is to have a better balance between work and personal life. So, this means dealing with things like sick leave, travel time, and bad weather issues. It’s about making a work environment that cares for the overall happiness of employees.

Who is Responsible for the Hybrid Work Policies?

Making a Hybrid Work Policy is a group effort. Therefore, it includes different people to make sure it fits what the company and its employees need.

1. Human Resources (HR):

HR is crucial in making the hybrid work policy. So, they need to know what the company needs, look at good ways other companies do things, and turn that into a policy that shows what the organization values and wants to achieve..

2. Collaboration with Department Heads:

To make the policy fit the specific tasks and issues of each department, You must work together with department heads. So, this makes sure that the hybrid work policy works well and makes sense for different teams.

3. Involvement of Employees:

Ask for employees’ thoughts and include eligible workers in the process when making decisions. As a result, the policy becomes an agreement that considers what people want and how happy they are at work. Thus, getting feedback from employees helps improve the policy to better suit the needs of everyone.

4. Leadership and Company Culture:

Leaders, at any level, are really important in creating the company’s culture. Therefore, they need to make sure communication is good and there’s face-to-face talk, either in person or through video calls. So, the hybrid work policy should show that the company is dedicated to keeping a positive work atmosphere.

5. Adapting to New Ways of Work:

Always be open to welcoming new ways of working. So, leaders and HR need to adjust the policy to keep up with trends, like the growth of hybrid teams and more use of video calls.

6. Legal and Compliance Considerations:

To avoid disciplinary action and ensure compliance, legal experts should check the hybrid work policy. So, this involves looking at things like the agreement everyone made together, who can be part of it, and the work conditions. Thus, having legal experts involved makes sure the policy is solid and can be checked carefully.

7. Employee Recruitment and Onboarding:

The hybrid work policy is important not just for current employees but also for bringing in new ones. Therefore, making the policy clear when hiring and introducing new employees helps them know what to expect and fit in well with the company’s hybrid work style.

8. Ongoing Evaluation and Adaptation:

Making the policy isn’t the end of the job. It’s also important to keep checking how things are going, including looking at how well employees are doing and fixing any issues with their jobs. So, doing this regularly helps make sure the hybrid work policy keeps working well and can change if needed.

The Challenges of a Hybrid Work Model 

One of the biggest challenges companies face is setting up a system that caters to the needs of both in-office and remote workers. Balancing the business needs while ensuring that eligible employees can benefit from a flexible work week requires careful consideration. So, HR plays a crucial role in crafting a remote work policy that reflects the company’s culture and values.

Communication is at the heart of a successful hybrid work model. With employees spread across different locations, relying on effective communication tools like video calls and Microsoft Teams becomes essential. So, ensuring everyone is on the same page and fostering a sense of connection, whether through face-to-face interaction or virtual meetings, contributes to maintaining a cohesive company culture.

In addition, eligibility criteria are another aspect that needs attention. Determining who can work remotely and under what conditions is crucial. Therefore, setting up a clear remote work policy that specifies eligibility criteria helps in avoiding confusion. It also ensures fair treatment for all employees.

Addressing the personal preferences of employees is vital for a hybrid work model to thrive. Some may prefer working in a circular setting in the office, while others thrive in a coffee shop environment or at home. Thus, acknowledging these preferences and creating a policy that accommodates different work styles helps with job satisfaction.

Additional consideration

Also, don’t forget to address additional costs that may arise. So, this includes providing resources for remote environments and considering any extra expenses for in-office and remote workers alike. Therefore, balancing these costs while maintaining the purpose of the policy—creating a work environment that supports a greater work-life balance—is essential.

Furthermore, a hybrid work policy must be regularly evaluated to ensure its effectiveness. So, this involves assessing employee performance, addressing job profile flags, and seeking feedback from both in-office and remote workers. Also, this ongoing process helps in adapting the policy to changing circumstances and maintaining a positive company culture.

Why I wrote this

Ongig is on a mission to support HR professionals in creating awesome, diverse workspaces with software like our Text Analyzer. Book a demo here .

Shout-Outs:

• The Difference Between Hybrid and Flexible Work (by Citation)
• 30 Essential Hybrid Work Statistics [2023]:Hybrid Work Model, Data, and Productivity (by Abby McCain)
• 19 IMPORTANT HYBRID WORKING STATISTICS TO KNOW NOW AND FOR THE FUTURE (by Apollo Technical)
• Hybrid Work Policies: The Future of the Modern Workplace (by Dr. Gleb Tsipursky)
• What is a Hybrid Work Policy and Why Does Every Company Need One? (by Steve Todd)
• Hybrid/Remote Work Policy for Administrators (by Fordham University)
• Hybrid Work Arrangement Policy (by Wagner College)
• Hybrid work policy and guidelines: a guide to nailing them (by Tiffany Fowell)
• Create a Hybrid Work Policy to Foster a Culture of Trust & Transparency (by Sarah Altemus)
• Remote and Hybrid Work Policy (by Gettysburg College)
• 6 Things You Absolutely Must Include in Your Hybrid Work Policy (by Maria Tanski-Phillips)
• 2022 State Of Remote Work (by Buffer)
• Americans are embracing flexible work—and they want more of it (by André Dua, Kweilin Ellingrud, Phil Kirschner, Adrian Kwok, Ryan Luby, Rob Palter and Sarah Pemberton) 
• Monthly civilian labor force in the United States from June 2021 to June 2023 (by statista)
• Remote Work Statistics And Trends In 2023 (by Kathy Haan)
• Remote Work Statistics & Trends: The Latest in Remote Work (by Jessica Howington)
• Is corporate America ready for The Future of Work? (by Kennedy Pereira)
• HYBRID/REMOTE WORK ARRANGEMENT POLICY SAMPLE (by Trucking HR Canada)

September 5, 2023 by Sarah Akida in HR Content

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What a hybrid work policy should include (+ free template)

If your organization plans to join the nearly 75% of businesses that offer a hybrid work model, take time to create comprehensive guidelines. With a hybrid work policy, you can avoid common issues with flexible work arrangements, including:

• Confusion about who can work remotely and when they can do so
• Miscommunication regarding expectations for remote workers
• Productivity issues from poor work environments and lack of equipment
• Security concerns due to inadequate protocols

Developing a policy that works for both management and employees doesn’t have to be difficult. In this article, you’ll find everything you need to get started, including a hybrid work policy template and suggestions for what to include.

9 sections your hybrid policy should include

Set your company’s policy up for success by incorporating the 9 sections below. Link them to supplemental resources, such as your organization’s code of conduct or employee attendance policy.

1. Definition

It’s easy to assume your team knows what you mean when you use words like “hybrid,” but each person may have a slightly different definition. Start by defining key terms that the policy covers.

This section is crucial for adding clarity, eliminating confusion, and keeping everyone on the same page. Depending on the scope of your policy, you may want to consider these points:

• What does “hybrid” mean to your organization?
• How does your company define “remote work”?
• What do you mean by “in-office work”?

2. Eligibility

Before employees get overly excited about working remotely, clarifying who can (and can’t) adopt a hybrid arrangement is helpful. In this section, explain who is eligible to leverage the policy and how they can get started.

By outlining the rules for position eligibility, you can prevent repeat questions and help remote employees transition to a hybrid policy more efficiently. Here are a few elements to think about:

• Can all employees adopt a hybrid work schedule?
• Does the policy only apply to team members in certain roles or with specific statuses?
• Can employees take steps to become eligible for a hybrid arrangement?

3. Availability and attendance

Your company’s standard work hours might be Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Do these same requirements apply to hybrid workers? In this section, define your organization’s hybrid availability and attendance policy.

By clarifying availability and attendance, you can set expectations and help employees understand how they might benefit from a hybrid schedule. Be sure to answer questions like these:

• When can employees work from home?
• How should they sign in and report for work?
• Do they need to be online a certain number of hours daily, and how much flexibility is there?
• How will you track or calculate hybrid hours?

A platform like Time Doctor can track attendance, whether or not employees are in the office. You can easily monitor attendance and projects by setting Time Doctor to track time and assignments automatically.

4. Key performance indicators

Your team deserves to know how you measure employee performance, especially if the metrics differ from standard in-office measurements. This section should outline the necessary KPIs (key performance indicators) for hybrid work.

By sharing KPIs, you provide transparency and show employees what they can do to optimize performance. These metrics can affect everything from employee retention to organizational performance. Here are a few questions to guide you:

• Do you expect employees to meet specific goals when they work from home?
• What metrics will you use to measure their performance?
• What disciplinary actions will you take if employees don’t meet these KPIs?

Time Doctor can also provide productivity and work-life balance insights. The platform automatically tracks idle time and can use your custom input to monitor productive versus unproductive time.

5. Communication expectations

Good communication is essential for any hybrid work arrangement, especially if your team is new to working across different locations and time zones. In this section, share guidelines for synchronous and asynchronous communication.

Setting these expectations can improve employee engagement and help teams perform better. Think about aspects of communication like the following:

• How responsive do you expect employees to be during remote work?
• Do you expect them to reply within a certain amount of time?
• What programs are employees required to download for async communication?

6. Environment

You won’t be able to control workspaces for hybrid employees as you would with in-office workers. However, it’s still important to outline expectations for hybrid work environments.

By establishing these standards, you can ensure hybrid workers do their best work in productive spaces. Consider these aspects:

• Do you expect employees to have dedicated workspaces?
• Should their workspaces meet specific requirements?
• Are employees allowed to use public spaces or coworking spaces?

7. Equipment

From computers and software to peripherals and supplies, your company likely provides everything employees need for in-person work. In this section, list the equipment that employees can access from the company for hybrid work and what they need to furnish themselves.

Explaining these guidelines helps employees prepare for working remotely and manage their operational needs. Think about potential issues, such as:

• What equipment will you provide for employees to use at home?
• What equipment are employees not allowed to take home?
• Will your company reimburse employees for specific equipment?

8. Expenses

Employees may accrue expenses while working remotely, and they may expect you to cover them. In this section, differentiate between what your company will and won’t pay for.

Discuss expenses proactively so you can effectively budget while ensuring employees can make essential purchases. Use these questions to guide you:

• Will your company provide a stipend to hybrid workers for setting up their spaces?
• Which additional expenses will your organization cover?
• How can employees get reimbursed for covered expenses?

9. Security

From customer data to confidential information, your company likely has a lot of material to keep secure. Here, explain the protocols hybrid workers should take to maximize security.

Whether your company has service-level agreements (SLAs) or you simply want to avoid data breaches, it’s essential to clarify security protocols. Here are a few issues to consider:

• What tools and equipment should employees use to maintain security?
• Do you expect employees to take certain precautions with Wi-Fi?
• What should employees do if a security issue arises during remote work?

Example hybrid work policy template

There’s no need to build a policy for hybrid work arrangements from scratch. Save time by using the template below.

How to use this template

This template can help you create a policy quickly, but it isn’t a plug-and-play document. Review it carefully and replace the bracketed text with information relevant to your business.

Then talk with your HR (human resources) and legal teams to ensure the policy meets your company’s needs. Remove or add sections as necessary to protect your business and your team.

Sample template: Hybrid work policy 

[Company Name] Hybrid Work Policy

“Hybrid work” refers to an arrangement that includes both remote and in-office work.

“Remote work” refers to work completed or hours tracked outside of [Company Name]’s primary location in [City], such as in the employee’s home office.

“In-office work” refers to work completed or hours tracked at [Company Name]’s primary location in [City].

Eligibility

At [Company Name], eligibility for hybrid work gets determined at the department level. Newly created positions have already been evaluated for hybrid work, and position eligibility is reflected in the job description.

Existing positions may be considered for a hybrid arrangement. Department heads review the following factors when deciding on a hybrid work schedule:

• Whether the work can be securely and efficiently completed off-site
• Whether the team requires substantial in-person collaboration
• How many junior employees the employee oversees

To request a hybrid work arrangement, please submit an official form [insert link] to begin the process. Department heads will respond to your request within [number] business days.

Availability and Attendance

Hybrid employees are eligible for remote work up to four days per week. Employees should consult their managers to schedule in-office workdays.

All full-time employees are required to complete a combined 40 hours of work. Employees must clock in using an approved attendance and time tracking tool whether they work in-office or remotely.

As a general rule, employees must work the standard hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Employees may negotiate alternative work hours on a case-by-case basis.

If employees fail to complete 40 hours of work per week for [number] weeks per quarter, they may become ineligible for hybrid work.

Key Performance Indicators

While working remotely and in-office, employees will be measured by a set of KPIs. These KPIs ensure employees attend work during standard hours, complete projects and tasks as assigned, and maintain high productivity levels.

• Number of hours tracked per week: [number]
• % of time productive: [percent]
• % of time unproductive: [percent]
• % of idle minutes: [percent]

If employees fail to meet the stated KPI for more than [number] consecutive weeks or more than [number] weeks per quarter, disciplinary actions will be taken, such as [example]. After [number] disciplinary actions, termination may be considered.

Communication Expectations

When working remotely, employees are expected to remain in close communication with teams, supervisors, and clients. Employees must respond to clients within [number] working hours, and they must respond to colleagues within [number] working hours.

In addition, employees working remotely must participate in key events, including daily standups, weekly one-on-one discussions, and team or department meetings as scheduled.

Environment

Hybrid employees are required to have dedicated workspaces where they can complete work remotely. This space may be an entire home office or a portion of a room. In this workspace, employees are expected to have a desk, a chair, and reliable internet access.

Within [number] business days of starting their hybrid work arrangement, employees will receive a stipend of [amount] to be used for outfitting their workspaces.

Instead of a home workspace, employees may also complete remote work at a dedicated coworking space as long as it provides the required elements listed above.

[Company Name] will provide members of its hybrid workforce with company-issued laptops that are pre-installed with all necessary software. Employees cannot install additional software or otherwise modify the equipment.

Employees are required to use these company-issued laptops for remote and in-office work. Employees are responsible for transporting these devices safely and securely.

[Company Name] will not provide additional equipment such as second monitors, printers, scanners, tablets, or smartphones. Employees may purchase these items with the remaining funds from their stipends.

In addition to the one-time stipend described above, hybrid employees will receive a monthly stipend of [amount]. This amount is for work expenses such as reliable internet access and home office maintenance.

Additional expenses for equipment or maintenance require approval by the employee’s department head.

While working remotely, hybrid employees are responsible for maintaining the security and confidentiality of their work. Employees are required to password-protect all equipment and use an approved VPN for added security when performing work online.

Employees who need paper documents must keep them in locked filing cabinets when not in use. These documents must be signed out of the building so their whereabouts can be tracked.

How to communicate the policy to employees

Once you’ve developed a hybrid work policy, the next step is sharing it with employees. Follow these steps to communicate it effectively and implement it successfully.

Choose the right communication channels

Introducing a hybrid work policy is a significant change for most businesses, whether you previously required in-office work or had a completely remote work policy. Make the initial announcement in front of as many of your employees as possible, such as at an all-staff meeting.

After announcing the change at an in-person or virtual meeting, share the news via email or a company-wide Slack channel. Choose the communication channel your company uses most to increase the likelihood of employees seeing it.

Give employees the resources they need to review and adopt the policy. For example, add a link to the complete policy or attach a PDF.

Repeat the message in various formats

Research shows the average person needs to hear a message anywhere from three to 20 times before taking action. That means you should repeat the message multiple times across various formats.

To avoid reusing the same language repeatedly, choose different angles to highlight after the initial announcement. For example, mention the position eligibility in one message and the attendance requirements in another.

If you want to encourage employees to use the hybrid policy, showcase the benefits. For example, mention the reduction in overall commute time or the stipend for setting up a hybrid workspace. 

Confirm employees understand the policy

Depending on what communication channels you use, you have a few options for confirming employees have seen the policy. For example, you can ask supervisors to get acknowledgments from everyone on their team, or you can request read receipts for your emails.

To ensure employees understand the policy, keep the lines of communication open. Encourage them to send questions to the HR department, where they can get accurate, up-to-date information.

Want to make your company’s switch to a hybrid workplace easier? Try Time Doctor so you can monitor employee schedules and track productivity no matter where your team works.

Book a free demo of Time Doctor

Carlo Borja is the Content Marketing Manager of Time Doctor, a workforce analytics software for distributed teams. He is a remote work advocate, a father and a coffee junkie.

How to create a work from home policy (a guide)

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Hybrid work policy and guidelines: a guide to nailing them

While the pandemic disrupted the culture of the 9-to-5 office grind, technology has helped companies build a more flexible workplace for years. Video conferencing, workplace communication tools, 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: control over their schedules, reduced commutes, and time for personal demands. And really, why shouldn’t they?

That’s where hybrid work comes in. It gives employees more control over their schedules and enables employers to manage their office space in a cost-efficient way. In a hybrid work model , employee schedules include work from home and on-site days. Since hybrid working is intrinsically flexible, you’ll want to roll out a crystal clear hybrid work policy to help avoid confusion and maximize collaboration. Read on to learn more about how to design a hybrid work strategy that works for everybody in this new era of working.

What is a hybrid work policy?

Simply put, a hybrid work policy outlines where, how, and when employees should work on a remote and in-person schedule. Sounds easy enough, but when you’re working with teams of folks, each with different working requirements, preferences, and expectations about their schedules, it can get confusing. Specificity and clear communication are essential as you design and roll out your hybrid work guidelines. Your policy should outline your workplace’s expectations and responsibilities for your hybrid workforce , and lay out a set of guidelines for hybrid operations. That includes clear processes for employees to follow to determine their hybrid schedule , secure approvals, and coordinate with their teams. It should also be collaborative, cross-functional, and designed with input from employees. Some teams might prefer in-person work on Mondays and Fridays, while others may prefer a Tuesday through Thursday in-office schedule. Other teams might prefer to address employee work preferences on a person-by-person basis. Make sure you gather feedback as you design your policy. More on your hybrid work policy checklist later.

Who should create and oversee your company’s hybrid work policy?

While your policy should absolutely reflect the desires of your employees, in order for it to be clear, enforceable, and representative, somebody needs to step up to lead its design and oversight. Workplace managers in particular can have an important role to play here. As leaders of their departments, workplace managers have good insight into how their teams operate and what their direct reports prefer in a hybrid working environment. The process of developing a policy can be enriching in itself; management folks can really take the reins to shape the best policy for their teams, while building visibility and working across the organization.

What should a hybrid work policy include?

As mentioned earlier, your hybrid work policy should be informed by employees, answer any questions, and clearly communicate working guidelines. This includes different schedule options, and clear delegation of approvals to establish and enforce norms. Without further ado, 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 understand why you’re enacting it to begin with. Make sure you have a clear answer. If you’ve developed the policy in partnership with your employees, this part should be easy and obvious.
• Who is eligible? Are all employees able to work on a hybrid schedule, or is it only for employees who meet a certain criteria? And, if a certain criteria is required, what is that criteria? Is it based on longevity at the company? Managerial approval? Personal situations? Be sure to make this clear so employees know whether they qualify.
• When should employees be on-site? Outline a clear schedule of when employees can work remotely vs. on-site. Some workplaces might have one big monthly meeting day that all employees are required to attend in person, with a more flexible schedule the other days. Others might prefer employees develop strict schedules with their managers to know exactly 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 set “core hours,” (e.g., 10 am–2pm), during which time employees should be available for meetings, while maintaining flexible expectations for working hours beyond that.
• Where can employees learn more? Post the policy on your internal workplace website or intranet, with links to resources. (Think: FAQ documents, research on hybrid work, any employee survey results that informed the policy.) Don’t forget to hold a live meeting and/or “office hours” where folks can drop in and ask your HR and workplace team questions. More on that in the next section.

How to circulate hybrid work policies and guidelines

Of course, your employees need to understand your policies before you can put them into practice. Three tips here: communicate, communicate, communicate. You should communicate your policy to the point where it feels like you’re over-communicating; it’s been said people need to hear messages at least seven (and as many as 20) times before really processing them.Send out regular emails leading up to the policy launch, present it at all-company and team meetings, post it on your workplace communication channels, and host drop-in support hours for HR to review the policies. This will also be an opportunity for employees to ask any questions. Get creative here, and remember, the more you feel like you’re repeating yourself, the better you’re communicating the message!

At the end of the day, you’ve got to trust your employees to get their jobs done—and trust that they know the best way to do that. A hybrid work policy allows you to set guidelines, clear up confusion, and empower people to build a schedule that works best for them. The result? Better morale, more productive employees, and a hybrid work culture that thrives.

Tiffany is a content crafter and writer at Envoy, where she helps workplace leaders build a workplace their people love. Outside of work, her passions include spending time with her greyhound, advocating for the Oxford comma, and enjoying really great tea.

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How to write a hybrid working policy: 9 things to include.

If you’ve been paying attention to the world of work over the last couple of years, you will have noticed the increased proliferation of job postings offering hybrid working. For anyone that doesn’t know, hybrid working gives employees a “best of both worlds” workplace strategy that allows them to control where they work. This means hybrid workers can choose to work from home, their local cafe, or the designated office space, depending on their preference. Although hybrid living has many benefits, it poses an implementational challenge that hasn’t been seen before. This is why knowing how to write your hybrid-working policy will be necessary.

“Hybrid work represents the biggest shift to how we work in our generation. And it will require a new operating model, spanning people, places, and processes.” ( Satya Nadella , Microsoft CEO)

Thanks to this freedom and flexibility, the popularity of hybrid working looks set to go from strength to strength. In fact, 83% of workers prefer a hybrid work model , while 63% of high-growth companies have already adopted a “productivity anywhere” workforce model. And although it is not mandatory, having a clear hybrid-working policy outlining the parameters of the businesses’ approach to hybrid working will be critical to the success of a hybrid-working strategy . Here at Cloudbooking , we want to show you how to write a hybrid-working policy, breaking down the nine aspects it needs to cover.

What is hybrid working?

Hybrid working is a type of flexible working that breaks the entire workforce into three groups; those who work from the office, those who work remotely, and those who are allowed to work remotely or from the designated office space. Which individuals make up these groups will usually be decided by personal preference, job role, and circumstances. 

Although the traditional office experience isn’t set to become a thing of the past just yet, it does appear that employees are having their say, and they want hybrid working to stay. According to the employee, census carried out by Cloudbooking and YouGov , 55% of respondents want a mix of office and home-based work, while a further 9% want a combination of home, office, and approved public space.

As organizations look to appease this desire for more freedom and flexibility, many companies are attempting to adopt the hybrid work model without sufficient planning and care. A hybrid-working policy is one of the most important aspects of a successful hybrid-work model. 

Rewrite Required

Although most companies have their own set of policies and processes, these are very likely to need a complete rewrite to clearly outline the parameters of the business’ approach to hybrid working. A hybrid-working policy aims to ensure fairness, collaboration, and productivity as workers move freely back and forth between the office and their desired remote environments.

A successful hybrid work policy will provide the basic outline of the expectations of each role and how it will function. By setting this out clearly, employees will understand what hybrid working will mean for them, whether in the office or at a local coffee shop. Your hybrid-working policy should also ensure fairness and avoid bias, outlining expectations such as how employees will treat each other moving forward, career progression opportunities, and which roles, if any, have greater flexibility.

What is a hybrid-working policy?

A hybrid-working policy is an agreement outlining the approach to hybrid working and business parameters. You clearly outline where, when, and how employees can work. You should also outline the best practices that every employee should follow, which roles and employees are allowed to work hybrid, and breakdown the legal rights of hybrid employees. By outlining this information early, you can set expectations, mitigate any issues or complaints, and hold hybrid employees accountable.

What should your hybrid-working policy include?

Before 2020, the rate organizations adopted hybrid-working practices had been described as glacial . However, the unprecedented events of 2020 and the spread of coronavirus meant that jobs and roles once considered unsuitable for flexible working are now successfully carried out by hybrid workers worldwide. 

As we look ahead, hybrid working looks set to increase in popularity over the next 12 to 18 months. Many large organizations like the Co-op and the University of Dundee have already adopted a hybrid-working policy. However, the model is imperfect and requires continual re-optimizing and monitoring. 

Although it would be far simpler if there were a one-size-fits-all approach to hybrid working, unfortunately, there is no way to implement hybrid working that doesn’t require customization and adaptation depending on your organization. Below, we examine areas to consider when outlining your hybrid-working policy. 

1. Procedure

Hybrid working is a form of flexible working, so there is likely some form of flexible-working policy already in place. Therefore, it could be possible that the existing policy could be amended or updated to become the new hybrid-working policy. However, there could be several significant differences between the modern-day hybrid-work model and the pre-2020 flexible-work policy. 

Flexible working requests used to be made on a more individual level; however, we can safely say that demand for hybrid working will be high. This may mean your hybrid-working policy must be redefined at a team level. Indeed, whatever option is best will depend on your business and circumstances. 

Before you develop or update your hybrid policies, it is essential to take the following aspects into account:

• Understand how the latest hybrid-working policies work concerning other forms of flexible working, such as agile working , part-time, and remote working.
• Outline the process by which employees can request hybrid working.
• Determine which employees or roles are eligible for hybrid working and which employees have less flexibility.
• Review and adopt other policies that might be impacted by hybrid working. These include procedures like IT usage, data protection, international employees, working from home, expenses, etc.
• Define responsibilities and roles for hybrid workers and management.

2. Legal implications of hybrid working

While hybrid working can offer a range of benefits for both the employee and the employer, one of the areas that can cause a major headache for employers is the legal implications. Employers must ensure legal protections are in place that will allow them to look after the wellbeing of employees while also meeting the additional obligations that hybrid working brings. As an employer, you will have the same responsibility to look after the health and safety of people working from remote environments as those working in an office.  

Another important legal point to consider is the contractual implications. Employee contracts should clearly state the location at which work is carried out. Employees who work permanently from home should inform their landlord and housing insurer and place their home address as their workplace. With a new hybrid-working policy, it might become a requirement to change the terms and conditions of employment. 

3. Communication

Communication is vital in any business, but when it comes to hybrid working, effective communication is critical. There are fewer face-to-face interactions and fewer watercooler chats, so communication is often poor unless it is a serious management focus. Poor communication can lead to ineffective team working, exclusion of remote employees, knowledge gaps, and unhealthy workplace culture. 

How your hybrid teams should work together and communicate depends on the roles and the size of the organization. Here is a list of some of the main recommendations to ensure effective communication within your hybrid team:

• Organize regular social events and opportunities for human interaction. This will help with team building and improve workplace culture .
• Use communication platforms and asynchronous tools to improve flexibility and encourage communication. Using tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams, you can limit the number of unnecessary video meetings and enable employees to enjoy a more flexible schedule.
• Encourage teams to establish a level of communication that suits them.
• Make sure that communication is inclusive to all employees.
• Meetings should be held online. This will help ensure remote employees are not left out of crucial meetings and don’t miss critical information.

4. Manager training and development

Although many managers and senior employees will have learned to deal with remote employees during the pandemic, managing a completely hybrid workforce has its own challenges. 

Organizations must prioritize learning and development, so managers are prepared to lead their teams by adopting new ways of working . 

Areas of development and training that should be of particular focus when it comes to a hybrid working include:

• Developing communication skills
• Effective performance management
• Team building
• Encouraging collaboration
• Managing hybrid-working requests
• Inclusion and diversity
• Employee engagement 
• Effective onboarding.

5. Technology and equipment

Technology plays a massive role in almost every aspect of business in the twenty-first century. However, it is even more critical when it comes to hybrid working. The latest technology enables teams to communicate, connect, and collaborate wherever they are based around the world. 

The global pandemic in 2020 meant that many organizations and employees had to get up to speed with the latest technologies, such as video conferencing software and communication tools. Although this will help facilitate the transition to a hybrid-working model, there is a requirement in your hybrid-working policy for training and support for less tech-savvy team members. 

You may want to think about the following points when developing a hybrid-work policy:

• Provide tools and software to facilitate hybrid workers
• Support employees with training for software and tools
• Implement security measures to ensure data integrity. An example of this can be seen in the hybrid working policy of the Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council .

Cloudbooking’s hybrid work software enables hybrid teams to seamlessly move between home and the office and use collaboration spaces to meet with other team members. These workplace management tools include:

• Desk booking software
• Meeting room booking software
• Carpark management software
• Visitor management software

6. Employee wellbeing

The long-term impacts of hybrid working should lead to improved employee wellbeing overall, thanks to greater freedom, more time for health and wellbeing activities, and increased time at home with the family. However, hybrid working presents work-life-balance-related challenges that must be factored into your hybrid-work policy. 

To help your employees adapt to hybrid working, you should support them in the following ways:

• Educate managers to be aware of any potential signs of poor wellbeing or mental health problems. These tell-tale signs can often be more challenging to spot in hybrid and remote workers.
• Provide employee assistance programs (EAP) or mental health support for all employees.
• Train employees to develop a healthy relationship with technology usage.
• Offer support to employees struggling to manage their work-life balance.
• Ensure managers and employees understand the risks and implications of hybrid working.

 7. Performance management

In the past, performance was often correlated with time spent in the office. However, this is not always the best indicator of performance or productivity. As it is impossible to visually measure the time and effort hybrid employees put into their work (unless you use software like Hubstaff to track employee productivity and screen time), employers must develop new outcome and deliverable-based performance indicators. 

As you develop your hybrid-working policy, it is also essential to factor in the following points:

• Does your organization currently reward and encourage presenteeism? Can this be changed?
• Are performance management systems suitable for a remote-work strategy? 
• One-on-one meetings are vital for remote workers. They give both the employer and the employee time to discuss performance.
• Is good performance rewarded? Recognition is just as crucial as addressing poor performance.

8. Inclusion and equality

Hybrid working and the global pandemic threw up an unacceptable amount of inequality-related problems. For example, women were furloughed for longer than their male counterparts. It also turns out that COVID-19 had a far more significant impact on people from ethnic minority backgrounds .

While these problems mainly relate to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is often an “out of sight, out of mind” attitude in business, which means that remote workers may fail to be included in certain activities or even get overlooked when it comes to progression opportunities. 

When developing your hybrid-working policy, you must pay close attention to equality and inclusion by ensuring every employee has the same experience and equal opportunities.

9. Employee lifecycle

Hybrid working and increased flexibility can significantly affect every aspect of your employee lifecycle. As you transition to a hybrid-workplace strategy, it is vital to take a step back and examine the suitability of your employee lifecycle and ensure hybrid employees can work effectively.

It would be best if you considered the following:

• Ensure recognition is not biased towards in-office employees
• Adapt performance management systems
• Support the career development of hybrid employees with learning opportunities
• Improve induction processes to help hybrid employees adopt the company culture and build relationships
• Support HR by advertising hybrid-working availability in the recruitment process.

Hybrid success is around the corner.

The power dynamic between employees and organizations has changed. Businesses have started to understand that offering workers increased freedom and flexibility is essential to retaining their top talent. Thankfully, hybrid flexible working , in particular, has come to the rescue, offering both workers and employers a practical compromise. 

The COVID-19 pandemic gave hybrid working the perfect trial run, and it passed with flying colours.  It looks set to go from strength to strength as more organizations adopt this highly flexible approach. 

By writing and developing a functioning hybrid-working policy, you protect yourself against future crises and gain an advantage over competitors with traditional-workplace strategies. Although adopting flexible working may take time and effort, you can give yourself the best chance of success by following our expert advice.  

Successfully adopt your own hybrid-work policy with the help of Cloudbooking’s hybrid working solutions . Contact us now for a no-obligation product demo .

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What is a Hybrid Work Policy and Why Does Every Company Need One?

Key Takeaways

Definition of Hybrid Work Policy : A hybrid work policy is an arrangement that allows employees to work both remotely and in the office. This flexible approach enables employees to choose where they work based on their needs and preferences, providing a balance between in-person collaboration and remote work autonomy.

• Increased employee satisfaction and work-life balance
• Higher productivity and efficiency
• Reduced overhead costs for businesses
• Access to a wider talent pool
• Enhanced employee engagement and retention

Key Considerations for Implementing a Hybrid Work Policy : To successfully adopt a hybrid work policy, organizations should consider the following:

• Develop clear guidelines and expectations for remote and in-office work
• Provide tools and resources to support remote collaboration
• Maintain open communication channels to address concerns and gather feedback
• Offer training and development opportunities to help employees adapt to the new work model
• Ensure that the policy is equitable and inclusive for all employees

Future of Hybrid Work : Hybrid work policies are expected to continue gaining popularity in the future. As more companies recognize the benefits of this flexible work model, the demand for hybrid work policies is likely to grow, reshaping the future of work.

Introduction

Over the last eighteen months, we have encountered numerous return-to-office surveys and reports. In particular, these detail where employees want to work and where executives want employees to work. After going through the data, it’s fair to summarize that on average, 68% of executives want employees to work in the office most of the time, while only 15% of employees want to be in the office for the majority of their work hours. Meanwhile, 50% of employees want to work in the office some of the time. And finally, about 35% of employees don’t want to work from the office ever again. 

This indicates that there’s a substantial gap between what executives want and what employees prefer. It’s also why we see many companies state that hybrid working will be how most of their employees will work moving forward. And so, what is a hybrid work policy and how can you create a hybrid work policy that your company can use.

What is a hybrid work policy?

Why create a hybrid work policy? Establishing a hybrid work policy provides the following opportunities to companies: 

• attract and retain diverse talent
• increase productivity and innovation
• build social cohesion
• reduce employment and real estate costs
• provide employees with increased flexibility

Creating and operating a hybrid work policy is a complex process: there is no generic right answer. The fact there is no right answer should provide comfort and you should expect iteration, resistance, and an emotional rollercoaster.    

This article highlights the many considerations companies should bear in mind when crafting these policies. To make hybrid work effective, companies should apply a hybrid work policy best suited to them. 

Here are the eight guiding principles you should consider when constructing a hybrid work policy :

1. Create a hybrid work policy with a remote-first mindset.

2. Create a hybrid work position within the organization that reports to senior leadership.

3. Define hybrid work roles that fit your organization.

4. Create a hybrid working etiquette handbook.

5. Create a communication and training plan for the organization.

6. Provide hybrid training to all levels in the organization.

7. Identify and measure critical success factors.

8. Prepare for iteration.

Before we get into the specifics of what a hybrid work policy is, let’s define hybrid work and its numerous benefits. 

What is hybrid work?

Hybrid work is, in the simplest terms, a flexible working model. It affords employees the flexibility to decide where they will work. They can choose to work from home, in the office, a co-working space, or a combination.  

At its core, hybrid working aims to match the task to the place. Some employees might find it easier to do specific tasks remotely. Others might prefer collaborating with colleagues in an office setup.

Most employees prefer a hybrid working pattern because it increases productivity by lessening commute time. It also allows employees the freedom to choose where they would be most comfortable to work. Finally, it creates a healthier work-life balance and reduces childcare costs. 

Benefits of Hybrid Work to the Employee and Employer

From the perspective of the employee.

– Reduces workplace distractions.

– Allows you to be more comfortable and, therefore, more creative.

– Allows you to work whenever you want.

– Optimizes your time.

– Improves work-life balance.

From the perspective of the employer

– Allows for a wider talent pool.

– Creates opportunities for more diverse and inclusive teams.

– Increases productivity.

– Increases employee retention.

– Fosters better employee collaboration.

– Saves money on rent and other office expenses.

Along with the many different types of hybrid work styles, there are many lessons that we have learned: Do people need to be in the office full-time? Why do employees have to be in the office? What does bringing people together mean in concrete value terms for the organization?

The hybrid work model allows organizations to be more inclusive. It gives room to create more diverse teams than the traditional in-office work models. It also enables employees from anywhere in the world to contribute to the organization.

To create a hybrid work policy, we need to look at how the company has been working for the last eighteen months. What positives have come out of it? What was missed, and what is needed going forward to get the best out of both worlds? Study and learn from companies that have already implemented hybrid strategies.

Recruiter and career coach Stephanie Yu, says, “ If you don’t adapt to the new normal of hybrid work with flexible work policies, you’re losing out on incredible talent. Candidates are constantly and consistently telling me they’re actively looking to leave their current employer because they are forced to go back into the office.”

Stephanie’s words are a valuable piece of advice, particularly for companies looking to increase their workforce with talented and motivated employees. 

Who is Responsible for the Hybrid Work Policy?

The hybrid work policy has to be a cross-functional team effort with executive leadership oversight. The team should also involve the Human Resources, IT, Real Estate,  Finance, and Legal departments. This is also THE Change Management Challenge of the moment.

Nicole Dessain suggests, “I think human resources professionals are the architects of the hybrid framework. Leaders are the designers of their hybrid team environments. And employees are hybrid work co-creators.”

Create a Hybrid Work Policy that Works for your Company

The following 27 factors are critical to creating a hybrid work policy:

Culture fit

This is the perfect time for leaders to think about the culture they want to foster and how it translates to daily operations. A hybrid work policy must fit your company culture and align with your mission and purpose. It also needs to be aligned with the culture of where your company operates.

One size does not fit all

There is no company on this earth like your company. Each company has its own unique culture, purpose, values, demographics, processes, and personality. A hybrid work policy needs to be a unique company fit.

Employee sentiments

Before making any sweeping changes to company policy, it’s imperative to consult the people who will be most affected – your employees. Consider their thoughts as you weigh your options. Even better, directly ask for their feedback on how the future of work should look. 

By doing so, they will feel acknowledged. Further, ensure the policies enacted actually meet the needs of the company and its employees so your employees are more likely to adopt new company policies readily. 

A remote-first mindset

Traditionally, many companies and teams utilize distributed offices.  Add the complexity of hybrid working, the chances of all team members being in the same office at the same time are very low.  Therefore, you need a policy and framework that expects remote communication and collaboration . The policy put in place will naturally fit each work mode within an organization.

Clear definitions

The entire organization must speak the same language. Each person must be familiar with the specifics of the policy. Furthermore, define what the following commonly-used terms mean for your organization:

In-Office: Employees work in the office most of the time

Hybrid: Employees work from the office some of the time and from home some of the time

Overlap hybrid: Employees spend 1-4 days a week in the office and work from home the other days

Remote: Employees are allowed to work remotely, be it from home or wherever they’re most comfortable

Standard working hours: Core working hours when employees should be available

Work from anywhere: Employees can work from anywhere 

Work from home: Employees can work from home

Erik Thomas, Senior Staffing Executive-Assistant Vice President-Salaried Professional Service (SPS) at Robert Half, states, “It is now a rarity in interviews to have someone say they want to be in office. It still happens, but it’s 1 out of 10. The rest all want hybrid or 100% remote.” 

Identify and create work modes that fit your organization. 

In-office: Who will be required to work in the office most of the time?

Hybrid: Who can work hybrid, when will hybrid employees work in the office, and where will hybrid employees work when not in the office?

Remote: Who is allowed to work remotely? What does remote mean? 

Roles: Identify the roles that fall into each category.

Teams: Identify the teams that fall into each work mode.

Decision-maker

Define early on who decides who works in each mode. Will executive leadership, managers, or employees decide?  There are pros and cons for each of these options.  But, there is a real opportunity for individuals, teams, and managers to create a Hybrid Work Agreement that benefits everyone. Of course, all parties should come together on the Hybrid Work Agreement. This document highlights who, where, and how each team member will work.  Each team member should have the opportunity to provide input and ultimately agree on what works best for the team.

Days in the office

Set expectations on the number of days hybrid employees will be expected to be in the office. Align these expectations with the culture of your company. For example, Catrin Lewis, Head of Global Engagement and Internal Communications at Reward Gateway, says:

After many weeks of reflection, research, listening, and learning, we’ve shared Reward Gateway’s flexible, hybrid working policy with our people. The article was shared on boom! our engagement platform, and has hit 74% readership across the business and 34 reactions in 2 days. We can see that employees are keen on reading this content and knowing what the future of work looks like.

The main thing that’s struck me with the simplified approach of “you’re either at home or in the office” is that it doesn’t acknowledge the task at hand and help employees understand where you’re most likely to be productive, supported, and able to work best.

For this reason, we’ve created 8 Work Modes. They neatly align with our 8 values and help remove the uncertainty for employees as to where they need to be. Our offices have been designed with the RG Work Modes in mind and dedicated spaces that enable them. It means that as an RG employee, you can plan your diary and increase the value of your time and travel by being in the best place to do what you need to do.

Eligibility

Provide clear and transparent guidance and detail the circumstance of who qualifies for each work mode. Provide clear examples of the roles that will be categorized as in-office, hybrid, and remote. What will be your criteria for determining employees who can work remotely?  Remember, 35% of employees don’t want to work in an office again.

Nature of work

Consider the types of roles and functions that take place across the company. How does the policy impact their work? How does each role interact with internal and external stakeholders daily? How much collaboration is required to be successful in each role? Further, consider the processes each team follows. Now is the time for each team to document and digitize these processes. 

Tenure and experience

As employees grow and contribute more to the organization, they may receive promotions. How will employees’ tenure and experience impact their need to be in the office?  Consider changing work styles and identifying critical success factors for each role.

Different ages and experience levels have different needs. Younger employees may have little work experience and therefore need to be in the office more than most.  Also, consider who should train a fresh recruit. Training can be hands-on, but a lot of training is through osmosis — learning by observing others’ actions.  As companies hire new talent, how will they be onboarded? What are a manager’s responsibilities to ensure a successful onboarding and a happy employee?

Create core hours when all employees should be available to work and hours when employees will not need to work. These time chunks can be as long or as short as they need to be. Defined hours help employees provide boundaries — a blurred line between work and home has been a long-running problem for many. If possible, have a day that doesn’t allow for Zoom meetings. 

Performance

Many organizations have performed well when their employees are working in an office together. Others see better results when most employees are working remotely.  How will hybrid working impact your company performance? Which teams perform better in which environment? What are the critical success factors by which you’re going to measure performance in a hybrid world?

Address Bias

Many biases subtly impact how we work and how teams come together.  Take the time to address each when drafting a hybrid work policy. Consider how employees will treat each other moving forward and career progression opportunities, among others.  Below is a list of common biases found in the workplace:

1. Affinity bias: The tendency to gravitate towards people like you

2. Attribution bias: Belief that other people’s success is due to luck

3. Attractiveness bias: Belief that attractive people are more competent

4. Conformity bias: The pressure to act like others

5. Confirmation bias:   A conclusion is drawn based on your experiences or beliefs

6. Name bias: The tendency to treat some names preferable over others

7. Gender bias: Preferring one gender over the other

8. Ageism: Discrimination due to age

9. Perception bias: Treating others based on assumption rather than reality

10. Height bias: Treating an individual differently because of their height

11. Contrast effect: Comparing one thing versus another even when there are other comparison points

12. Halo effect: Believing all attributes are exceptional when we see only one positive attribute 

13. Horns effect: Believing all attributes are negative when we see that one negative attribute

Environmental impact

Despite having a hybrid work policy, it’s possible that corporate offices still operate as if they are fully occupied. Consider how you can cut your company’s carbon footprint in this instance. 

Hybrid working requires knowledge of technology. Technologies include desk booking, softphones, video conferencing, collaboration tools, etcetera. All of these tools need to work differently to address hybrid needs. For example, everyone can understand how Zoom works, more or less. How does this setup change when some are in the office while others are elsewhere? What other technologies do you need to onboard to make hybrid working more convenient? 

Digitization

Digitize and publish the hybrid work policy and all related documents to enable real-time feedback and iteration. As perspectives and sentiments shift, companies will need to adjust their policies.

David Ackert, the president of technology and consulting firm Ackert Inc., says the following:

“Some legal experts think the new hybrid policies may go the way of unlimited vacation policies or parental leave at many firms: a paper policy that doesn’t align with reality. Lawyers at big law firms are generally, by nature, competitive and ambitious. And in an environment where a firm’s leaders have come up the ranks, in-person and attorneys are pitted against each other for origination credits and as partnership prospects, attorneys will likely gravitate toward in-office and in-person work to get ahead of their internal competitors.”

What support will be provided to employees when they work outside of the office? If employees are working away from the office 50% of the time, what equipment can the employers provide to help employees be productive? The most common things employees request while working remotely, though it varies by location and job role, are a desk, chair, large screen, and secure internet.

The office provides many security features we often take for granted. It’s a safe environment for employees to work, talk, socialize and share information. However, remote work may pose data security concerns which companies will need to manage. Further, employees need training on the best practices regarding the following:

Cyber Security:

– Multi-factor authentication

– Firewalls

– Antivirus

Data Security:

– Personnel files

– Customer contracts

– Company confidential information

– Print material

– Access to work phone

– Access to screens

– Confidentiality during conferences

– Where to conduct highly confidential conversations

How do you plan to reduce risks and hazards when employees are in the office? Here are some safety measures you can consider:

1. Handle loose cables, faulty equipment, and other hazards appropriately.

2. Set safety measures and practices against fire hazards. 

3. Establish social distancing rules. 

4. Alleviate work-related stress and isolation by checking in with your employees.

Remote location considerations

The location of a company’s employee often determines the payroll, worker compensation, salary, and benefits. Be reasonable and fair in deciding these factors. Be mindful of data protection considerations since a remote workforce increases the risk of insecure Wi-Fi connections. Establish robust processes to protect company data. Lastly, set the ground rules for etiquette and norms for remote employees. Make it a point to check on them to avoid making them feel detached or estranged from the team.

Onboarding new hires

Create an effective training program suitable for your team that incorporates introducing, integrating, acquainting, and socializing. Reinforce company values and encourage feedback through standardized procedures and effective communication channels. Some employees might not have access to the necessary resources such as Wi-Fi, headphones, office desks, and VPN. How are you going to provide these tools and equipment for them?

Exit interview questions

Ask each employee who leaves the company if where they work contributed to their decision to leave. Track and communicate the response by business and location. Use their feedback to improve the system and leadership in your company. Establish how you measure success and set reasonable, measurable goals.

Tax implications

Where an employee works full-time or part-time can have a tax consequence for the company and employee. Understand the implications for the organization for each tax jurisdiction, and guide employees on potential personal tax consequences. Provide guidelines on steps employees can take to understand their situation better.

Salary expectations

Will there be a salary adjustment for employees who don’t come into the office full-time? Will salaries be adjusted for employees who relocate or work in a different country, state, or city? Set expectations and communicate any adjustments. 

Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman suggested that workers who don’t report to the firm’s New York City headquarters should earn lower salaries than those who show up in person.  “If you want to get paid New York rates, you work in New York. None of this, ‘I’m in Colorado…’ and getting paid like I’m sitting in New York City. Sorry, that doesn’t work.”

Clarify the remote work stipends and when your employees are entitled to receive them. Employees can use these stipends to build their remote workspace. Alternatively, give them access to personalized perks. Tailor these perks to your employees’ needs, the amount of work they do, and your company’s capacities. HubSpot, for example, provides a stipend of $60/month tax-free monthly stipend to remote employees. Buffer, on the other hand, provides the following:

– $200/month: “Working Smarter” stipend for coffee shop working purchases

– $500/teammate: home office setup

– $200/year: tech/office needs

– Internet reimbursement stipend

– $850/year continuous learning stipend

Hybrid Work Policy Communication Plan

Proper communication is an absolute prerequisite for the successful implementation of a hybrid work policy. Mismatched expectations and ineffective communication could lead to misunderstandings, which affect the team dynamic and productivity. 

What works for other companies or organizations may not work for your company. The first step to building an effective communication method is taking the time to assess your employees’ needs and preferences as well as your current systems. Ask yourself:

– How do you communicate daily tasks to your teammates? 

– How do you conduct serious, one-on-one conversations?

– What tools do you use when communicating remotely? Are they effective?

– What asynchronous and synchronous communication tools do you use?

In creating the communication plan, employee feedback is vital. It should even be centered on them so that you can come up with the most effective method that ensures proper communication between everyone.

Thompson Coburn Partner, John Viola says, “[t]here should be announcements and meetings that cover changes so that people feel they’re a part of the process because let’s face it, many of us like working at home. Right? So you’re going to deal with the moral issue when people who have to commute, get dressed up and are used to enjoying more free time than they would have when working in the office environment.”

Once you’ve decided on the optimal communication plan, it’s time to implement that strategy. Make sure that these methods are clear to everyone on the team. If done correctly, this can open many creative and interactive opportunities that could even strengthen team dynamics. HR Project Manager at Open GI, Susan Self, says, “The hybrid way of working is something I’m excited to return to and this is such a great way of showing the value and how to think about the benefits of your different work modes, love it.”

But the job doesn’t stop at laying down the groundwork and implementing plans. Assess the results of the communication plan. You might find that there are some things you can further improve, some details that need refining.

The Time for Hybrid Work is Now

It’s best to come up with these strategies now rather than later. As Michal Marciniak, founder and CEO at veventy.com, puts it, “Remote work, it’s not the future. It’s now and should be available for any team member. The location should be our choice in our digital era. We are fully remote now and we love it.”

The hybrid work model has already been proven in multiple surveys to be the model that employees prefer. It has been shown to generate productivity, which in turn generates quality results. Adapting to the times is essential for any company.

However, in transitioning to a hybrid pattern, be sure to establish the company and the team’s shared purpose. Don’t let your people forget the company goals, values, and culture. A different working environment might be difficult since some might feel detached from the physical work environment, and therefore the company. Always foster a sense of accountability and responsibility among employees. Build a strong hybrid culture by empowering employees, being inclusive, practicing transparency, and treating everyone fairly.

Phil Libin, founder of Evernote, said by going fully remote, he’s given his company three superpowers:

1. The ability to hire talent not just globally, but locally. Phil Libin also says they’re never going to go back to listing a location in a job.

2. There’s no need for commuting. Every person on the team gets back two extra hours a day.

3. Everyone avoids the extreme expense of living in major cities.

Hybrid Work Policy Training Plan

Just as working setups and norms have changed, training new employees will have to go through adjustments. Your training programs must properly train employees for a hybrid pattern. You will need flexible approaches to learning and engaging communication methods.

Here are five points that you can take into consideration when developing an effective training plan for your company:

1. Company values

It’s critical to convey the company values to trainees and revisit them with employees. This is much more important given that they can work from anywhere. Being familiar with your company’s values ensures that everyone is working towards the same goal.

2. Collaboration and communication

Find out the optimal communication method to incorporate trainees into existing teams. Trainees need to feel that they are part of the team, that they are welcome. Effective communication is vital to create a healthy and productive team dynamic.

3. Interactivity

It’s tough to get the entire team together. And it’s harder to keep their attention.  Eliminate distractions that might draw you away from the meeting. Create an interactive environment by encouraging everyone to participate with questions, polls, quizzes, and other training methods.

4. Consider blended learning techniques

Identify the best delivery method for each learning content to achieve the best results. Training could be done with live virtual sessions, video & animations, or self-study. Have synchronous or asynchronous sessions. You can also consider a mix of both. Be creative and come up with an entirely new method designed specifically for your team. Make sure that there are still collaborative opportunities for them.

5. Monitor pain points

Set specific goals for the program and measure results within a reasonable timeframe. Observe the shortcomings of your training program. Gather feedback from employees to further improve on it. Encourage them to be open with their suggestions and constructive with their criticisms.

Hybrid Work Etiquette Handbook

The pandemic has driven many necessary changes. Along with the hybrid working model, it has also pushed us to change how we interact with other people and how we present ourselves. In a hybrid working environment and with the context of COVID-19, it is imperative to develop rules of etiquette that will suit the situation.

Here are nine things you may consider in creating your company’s etiquette handbook:

1. Scheduling transparency

Be clear on who’s working from home and who’s working in the office. In such a flexible workspace, an open line of communication is needed to ensure optimal productivity and maintain a collaborative environment. Being aware of each other’s working hours will prevent messaging or calling at inappropriate times, especially if you have employees working in different time zones.

2. Make sure everyone understands the rules

Be explicit on the expectations and norms. Don’t use vague terms or unknown acronyms. Make sure that the rules and etiquette are clear and that employees understand the company’s expectations of them.

3. Hybrid meetings

With some employees working from home, meetings will become a mix of virtual and physical. Create a system of inclusivity where everyone gets a chance to speak. Make sure that remote employees don’t get left out of the discussion.

4. Virtual etiquette

How should remote employees dress? Will there be days for dressing down and dressing formally? What backgrounds should remote employees use when attending meetings virtually? Should their cameras be turned on at all times? Should their microphones be muted unless they have something to say? Should they turn off all distractions? Remote employees should also check their mics, camera, and Internet connection ahead of the meeting.

5. Setting up response times

Gather your team to decide on appropriate response times to any form of work communication. This will help avoid sending messages at inappropriate times or waiting without knowing when to expect a reply.

6. Set time limits for meetings

The team should be in agreement on the necessity and duration of meetings. Set an agenda for meetings and stick to it. You can also send all relevant materials to the attendees beforehand to save time.

7. Set boundaries and respect each other’s time

This rings true for the traditional working model as well. Avoid making employees put in extra hours of work even if they are working remotely. Don’t contact them on their off-hours unless urgent. Likewise, don’t assume everyone should adjust to your schedule.

8. Keep the workspace clean

Everyone shares responsibility in keeping their personal and shared workspaces clean. Don’t simply rely on the janitors. You can encourage CAYGO (Clean As You Go). Encourage employees to help out in wiping the tables in shared spaces such as meeting rooms to ensure that it’s clean for the next group.

9. Be empathetic and kind

Hybrid working systems or not, we should always exercise empathy and kindness. Treat people with kindness and respect cultural differences. The pandemic has only strengthened the need for empathy. It would be best to foster an inclusive, healthy, and safe workplace for everyone.

Getting your Hybrid Work Policy Wrong: The Case of Apple

On June 2, 2021, Tim Cook emailed all Apple’s employees, asking them to return to the office in early September. Apple’s CEO requires Apple staff to be present in the office for at least three days a week. He believes that video conferencing can’t replace in-person collaboration. 

All isn’t lost, however. Apple will provide all employees the opportunity to work remotely for two weeks per year. Despite this offer, Apple employees pushed back with an internal letter. Some employees even quit.

That Apple’s remote/location-flexible work policy, and the communication around it, have already forced some of our colleagues to quit. Without the inclusivity that flexibility brings, many of us feel we have to choose between either a combination of our families, our well-being, and being empowered to do our best work, or being a part of Apple.

Here are the specific requests outlined by  Apple employees in the letter:

– We are formally requesting that Apple considers remote and location-flexible work decisions to be as autonomous for a team to decide as are hiring decisions.

– We are formally requesting a company-wide recurring short survey with a clearly structured and transparent communication/feedback process at the company-wide level, organization-wide level, and team-wide level, covering topics listed below.

– We are formally requesting a question about employee churn due to remote work be added to exit interviews.

– We are formally requesting a transparent, clear plan of action to accommodate disabilities via onsite, offsite, remote, hybrid, or otherwise location-flexible work.

– We are formally requesting insight into the environmental impact of returning to onsite in-person work, and how permanent remote and location flexibility could offset that impact.

How did Apple get it so wrong in its employees’ eyes? Put simply, Apple employees felt ignored. The executives failed to acknowledge how its employees successfully delivered quality work amidst a pandemic. Furthermore, there is also a lack of employee autonomy in the policy. For employees who have enjoyed autonomy, this is quite an about-face.

Many employees who have worked remotely for over a year have done so stellarly. Because they are in control of their time, they have been more productive and efficient. Many employees do not see the “need” to return to an office; they have proven their worth! They have collaborated with the help of numerous remote working tools.

Nicole Dessain, the Chief Employee Experience Designer at talent.imperative Inc., believes that the calls for in-person collaboration have more to do with Management’s desire for control. They’re not basing decisions on data or facts about employee performance over the last 18 months. 

Companies with Hybrid Work Model

Now Apple isn’t alone in making sweeping decisions on how people show up for work. How do other companies’ work policies compare to this tech giant? Here are just some hybrid work policies announced by other tech companies: 

The future of work at Facebook is hybrid and remote. Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook will be increasing work flexibility for all employees. Facebook envisions that in the next 5-10 years, 50% of the workforce will go fully remote. Through this, the social media firm hopes to be able to hire anyone from anywhere. Their hybrid work policy includes the following points:

1. “Office” employees can work from home up to 50% of the time once offices reopen.

2. All employees get 20 business days per year to work from anywhere in the world.

3. All employees can apply for full-time 100% remote work either in the country of employment or in the UK, Canada, and the US. This will expand to more countries over time, starting with seven additional European countries in Jan 2022.

The e-commerce company said that it expects its corporate workers to work at least three days per week in the office.

Netflix’s CEO has been one of the most vocal against remote work. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Reed Hastings calls remote work a “pure negative”.

The company’s initial plan was for all employees to return to the office for at least three days a week. Last month, Google took back that plan and said that it was adopting a flexible model that included coming back to the office, working from another office, or staying fully remote. Google is also providing employees the ability to work from anywhere four weeks a year.

The Swedish music streaming giant has offered next-level flexibility. It’s allowing employees to work from anywhere they want as long as it doesn’t throw up legal barriers and the time zones make sense. The company said it would give the same pay no matter the location.

Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, seems skeptical of the work-from-home trend. Fink laments that over 400 young people have joined their company and haven’t yet experienced a physical setup. He muses that there will be more problems in the future with remote work. He states: “Cultures were not meant to be done in a remote fashion, and culture is what binds and unifies us. I’m still not sure how well we’re doing on a cultural basis.”

Some people might oppose the idea of remote work. But the reality is that many companies have allowed employees to work from home. They placed incredible amounts of trust in their employees. And this trust has been deserved, for the most part. In fact, most companies have figured out new ways of working and developed methods suited for their company. These could range from being office-centric hybrids on one end of the hybrid spectrum to remote-centric on the other end. Some companies who have developed their own hybrid patterns are:

They implemented a 50% split between remote/hybrid and in-office work. However, hybrid work is not available to all employees. The CEO also made a company-wide rule banning video meetings on Fridays.

They allow their employees to work from home at least 50% of the time, but workers can get manager approval to increase their remote schedule.

Lockheed Martin

Only 3% of their workforce telecommutes pre-pandemic. Up to 45% of the company will be hybrid. However, managers have to undergo 20 hours of training to lead in the post-pandemic world.

Whether we like it or not, we have to rethink the way we work. Through this, we found that remote working is an effective alternative to in-office work. Indeed, there are a host of benefits to it. To companies wary of switching to a completely remote work model, hybrid work is a great middle ground. Employees can still collaborate in person when necessary while maintaining the productivity they experienced while working remotely. 

We hope that this piece has given you clarity on the steps that your company needs to take. Below we have provided related questions you may have after reading the article.

Related Questions:

Q: How can I determine if a hybrid work policy is suitable for my organization?

A: To assess if a hybrid work policy is suitable for your organization, consider the nature of your business, the tasks your employees perform, and the level of collaboration required. You can also gather feedback from your employees and evaluate the potential benefits and challenges of implementing a hybrid work policy.

Q: How can we maintain a strong company culture in a hybrid work environment?

A: To maintain a strong company culture in a hybrid work environment, prioritize open communication, schedule regular team meetings, organize both virtual and in-person team-building events, and encourage employees to collaborate and engage with one another, regardless of their work location.

Q: How do we measure productivity in a hybrid work model?

A: To measure productivity in a hybrid work model, focus on output rather than hours worked. Set clear expectations, goals, and metrics for employees, and track their progress. Encourage regular check-ins and offer support to ensure employees remain productive and engaged.

Q: What are the potential challenges in implementing a hybrid work policy?

A: Potential challenges in implementing a hybrid work policy include managing employee expectations, maintaining clear communication, ensuring equitable treatment of all employees, providing adequate resources and support for remote work, and addressing possible feelings of isolation among remote employees.

Q: How can we create an inclusive and equitable hybrid work policy?

A: To create an inclusive and equitable hybrid work policy, ensure all employees have access to the same opportunities, resources, and support, regardless of their work location. Establish clear guidelines, maintain open communication, and provide training to help employees navigate the new work model. Additionally, monitor the impact of the hybrid work policy on different employee groups to address any potential disparities.

FAQs Covered in this Article

Q: What is a hybrid work policy?

A: A hybrid work policy is a flexible work arrangement that allows employees to split their time between working in the office and working remotely, such as from home or a coworking space.

Q: What are the benefits of a hybrid work policy?

A: Benefits of a hybrid work policy include increased employee productivity, improved work-life balance, reduced overhead costs, talent retention, and access to a wider talent pool.

Q: What challenges might organizations face when implementing a hybrid work policy?

Q: How can organizations create an inclusive and equitable hybrid work policy?

A: To create an inclusive and equitable hybrid work policy, organizations should consider factors like providing the necessary tools and resources, offering flexible schedules, and promoting a culture of trust and accountability.

Q: How can organizations ensure the success of their hybrid work policy?

A: Organizations can ensure the success of their hybrid work policy by setting clear expectations, encouraging regular communication, offering training and support, and continuously evaluating and adjusting the policy based on employee feedback and organizational needs.

Q: Are there different types of hybrid work models?

A: Yes, there are several types of hybrid work models, including fully flexible models (where employees can choose their preferred work location), core hours models (where employees have designated in-office hours and remote hours), and fixed schedule models (where employees have a set schedule for working in-office and remotely).

Q: How do hybrid work policies impact office space requirements?

A: Hybrid work policies can lead to reduced office space requirements as employees spend less time in the office. This may result in organizations implementing hot-desking or hoteling arrangements, downsizing office spaces, or redesigning office layouts to accommodate more collaborative and flexible work environments.

Q: How can organizations maintain team cohesion in a hybrid work environment?

A: Maintaining team cohesion in a hybrid work environment can be achieved by fostering open communication, using collaboration tools, scheduling regular check-ins and team meetings, and organizing occasional in-person gatherings or team-building activities.

Q: Can a hybrid work policy work for all types of roles and industries?

A: While a hybrid work policy may not be suitable for all roles or industries, particularly those requiring a physical presence, it can be adapted to a wide range of job functions and sectors. The key is to assess the specific needs and constraints of each role and industry and customize the hybrid work policy accordingly.

Steve Todd, founder of Open Sourced Workplace and is a recognized thought leader in workplace strategy and the future of work. With a passion for work from anywhere, Steve has successfully implemented transformative strategies that enhance productivity and employee satisfaction. Through Open Sourced Workplace, he fosters collaboration among HR, facilities management, technology, and real estate professionals, providing valuable insights and resources. As a speaker and contributor to various publications, Steve remains dedicated to staying at the forefront of workplace innovation, helping organizations thrive in today's dynamic work environment.

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How to write a hybrid working policy.

Home / Knowledge base / How to write a hybrid working policy

Posted by Gemma Clark on 13 December 2021

The phrases "working from home" and "you're on mute" have become common in businesses across the UK since the start of the pandemic.

However, since the easing of the restrictions and many employees returning to working in the office some new phrases relating to the ways in which we can work remotely or more flexibility to address the work-life balance for employees have started to do the rounds.    

Hybrid working has now become a common approach, particularly in office-based environments. But what is hybrid working, and how should employers go about implementing it?

What is hybrid working?

Hybrid working is where an employee splits their working time between their work premises and another location, usually their home. Hybrid working is a form of flexible working designed to assist employees achieve the ever important work-life balance, whilst still meeting the needs of the business. Hybrid working is not a legal entitlement, and this is therefore offered completely at the discretion of employers. 

Do you need a hybrid working policy?

By law, no. However, if you are implementing hybrid working practices, then it is wise to have a clear hybrid working policy to outline the parameters of the businesses’ approach to hybrid working. For example, the policy can define which roles are eligible for hybrid working, the arrangements for where home working can occur, and when homeworking is allowed.  

Having a hybrid policy in place from the outset will help mitigate any issues or complaints moving forward. 

What should you include in a hybrid working policy?

Expectations.

The policy should be clear on the division of the employee’s time, i.e. the amount of time that can be spent working remotely or in the workplace. If this level of detail is not included in the policy and employees begin to work remotely and so do for a period of time, employers risk employees arguing they have an implied contractual right that their role is now entirely remote. The split allowed is entirely at an employer’s discretion. For example, you may be looking for a 60%-40% split for, where employees can work from home 60% of the time but must attend their workplace for the other 40% of their working week. This would equate to 2 days at the workplace and 3 days working from home for full-time employees (which would be pro-rated accordingly for part-time employees).

It is essential to be clear on instances where employees must attend their workplace, such as for team meetings, all employee conferences or face to face training. 

You may also want to define where remote working is allowed. For example, are you going to enable people to work anywhere in the UK, or do you want to specify that they need to be at home? Do they need to inform or request consent if they're going to work from anywhere apart from their home address? If employees are permitted to work remotely abroad, there will be further matters which will require consideration for such an arrangement. It is essential to note that there may be immigration, tax and data protection issues to be aware of, and it is recommended that you seek legal advice in respect of such matters before allowing employees to work overseas. 

You should also confirm whether employees will be provided with equipment to enable them to complete their roles from home, or if they will be required to use their own equipment.

Finally, it is important to highlight within the policy instances where the policy may be revoked for individual employees, for example, if there are concerns over their conduct, performance or health and wellbeing. 

Eligibility

Your policy must set out the eligibility criteria for your hybrid working approach, if applicable. This will allow you to mitigate any future disputes. As an employer, you need to decide if the policy is a business-wide policy or only applies to specific roles in the business. If certain roles are not deemed appropriate for hybrid working, the policy should outline the rationale as to why this is the case to provide clarity to employees. It could be, for example, that there are face to face elements to the role, there are regulatory reasons which prevent the employee from working remotely or the role requires equipment that is only available in the workplace. 

Workplace working

You may want to have set criteria for workplace working regarding the hours that employees have to attend your workplace premises. Are you going to allow employees to have flexible hours, do they need to be present for core hours, or should they be there for the entire working day? Additionally, will employees have set days where they are attending the workplace, or will this be flexible?

You may also need to include the details for employees needing to hot desk or book meeting rooms, particularly as businesses continue to work to COVID safe protocols.

Working remotely

Your hybrid policy should clearly define the expectations of employees when they are working remotely in the locations you have specified. Your policy should, as a minimum, include:

• The equipment and technology needed to perform the role effectively and (as set out above) whether the technology will be provided or if the employee needs to supply this themselves;
• How any sickness absence or other absences from work will be reported while the employee is working from home;
• The health and safety policies that need to be adhered to whilst employees are working remotely and how risk assessments will be carried out.;
• The data protection approach while employees are working from home. This should include any physical documents moved from the workplace to a remote location and how these must be stored in order to maintain compliance with GDPR; and
• The availability of employees when working remotely. The policy should set out if employees should be available for set hours or if there is a flexible approach. 

A hybrid working policy is designed to sit alongside other flexible working approaches, which should be clearly defined in their own policies. The hybrid working policy should refer to these as another option for employees.

Employment contracts

As well as having a clearly defined hybrid working policy, it is essential to consider whether there needs to be any amendments to employees' contracts of employment if changes are to be permanent. These can include changes to the place of work clauses and attendance. If so, it is important to work with employees to get an agreement on the changes; a business cannot unilaterally change the employee’s contract and doing so could result in the business opening itself up to claims from employees.

Implementing a hybrid working approach

There is no set procedure for implementation of hybrid working, unless this is being done as a formal change to an employee’s terms and conditions of employment. However, we would advise the following steps:

• If you gain feedback and buy-in from employees through a consultation process, you are less likely to encounter issues and disputes in the future;
• A hybrid approach will undoubtedly impact team management, so it is important to offer line managers support and training on how to implement the policy, communicate effectively with a remote team, manage performance, and support the team with a new way of working; and
• Any new ways of working must be effectively communicated to all employees across multiple touchpoints, so everyone is clear on the approach and how their role fits in. 

In many ways, hybrid working offers employers an excellent opportunity to help their employees with the much-desired work-life balance. However, as with all elements of employment law , a clear policy that sets out the expectations from both sides often mitigates any future issues. 

We have developed a pack of hybrid working policy templates to help address this in your business, including a  hybrid working policy , a checklist, a company memo, and a hybrid working application form which we will  tailor to your individual business. It is available here for £450 + VAT - or free of charge to our employment law retainer (YEAR) clients.

Tags: Employment law and HR Employment law retainer (YEAR) Outsourced HR consultancy

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Working From Home Policy (HR Guidelines)

Anne morris.

• 5 August 2022

IN THIS SECTION

With more employees than ever working from home, employers must ensure they have a working from home policy in place that is clear on standards and expectations for remote workers, while ensuring legal compliance and protecting their interests.

In this guide for employers, we share an overview of the law relating to working from home, including an employer’s legal responsibilities toward their employees, and what a working from home policy should include as a matter of best practice.

The law on working from home

Homeworking is where a member of staff is permitted to carry out their daily contractual duties from home on an occasional, temporary or permanent basis.

The employee will typically still work in accordance with the core conditions under their contract of employment, such as the same working hours and pay, but will not be required to go into their official place of work for those days where working remotely has been agreed on hybrid working basis .

Working from home is a type of flexible working arrangement that can enable employees to meet the demands of their job role while providing a degree of flexibility to achieve a better work/life balance.

There are also various benefits to homeworking for your business, including lowering overhead costs, freeing up office space, and a happier and potentially more productive workforce with improved staff retention.

There is no legal right to work from home .

Employees have the right to request flexible working after accruing 26 weeks’ continuous service . As an employer, you do not have to agree to any such request by law, although you are legally required to consider a request made and provide sound business reasons for any refusal.

What are an employer’s responsibilities for homeworkers?

By law, all employers are under a duty of care to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of their employees, including when an employee works from home.

Ordinarily, you would be expected to carry out some form of health and safety risk assessment of the workspace available within the employee’s home environment. A risk assessment can still be completed, even in the current climate, by way of an employee questionnaire, ensuring that every individual feels that the work they are being asked to do can be achieved safely at home.

You will be responsible for ensuring that employees have access to the right equipment and technology needed to conduct their role from home, such as a laptop, mobile phone, suitable business software and good internet connectivity. Where this needs to be set up or provided, you will be responsible for making this happen, together with any necessary training and support to work from home or to use any remote working systems.

During the course of any period of homeworking you should also keep in regular contact with employees, checking on their health and wellbeing. This includes any mental health issues that may arise as a result of high levels of stress and anxiety, or feelings of isolation, caused by working from home or because of work-related issues.

What should a working from home policy include?

Whether you are considering implementing a working from home policy on a permanent basis or as a temporary measure, you will need clear rules setting out any eligibility requirements, how to request working from home and how this will work in practice.

Below we consider some of the key aspects of a working from home policy.

Eligibility criteria

Your working from home policy should include clear guidelines to let your staff know who is eligible for home working and who is not, as well as how to apply.

When considering eligibility, you will need to take into account the impact on your business of allowing homeworking, and whether this is economically and operationally viable without placing your business at a significant disadvantage.

It may be that the business can survive with only a key number of employees working within certain roles, with the majority working from home. In other cases, working from home may not be possible at all.

Any decision to allow homeworking does not need to be implemented across your entire organisation, although you should be transparent and clear about the basis upon which employees are eligible to work from home, ensuring that this does not discriminate against certain individuals or groups of individuals.

Carrying out a risk assessment

For those who are eligible for homeworking, you will still need to carry out some form of risk assessment for that individual, ensuring that they can work from home safely and reliably without direct supervision, and whether homeworking is feasible in terms of space and equipment, as well as any caring responsibilities, such as for young children or sick and elderly relatives.

Your questionnaire should include asking details about the employee’s personal circumstances or vulnerabilities that you may need to be aware of, such as whether the employee is pregnant, has a weakened immune system or a long-term medical condition such as diabetes, cancer, chronic lung disease or respiratory conditions such as asthma, or lives with anyone with these conditions.

You will also need to ask questions relating to the viability of working from home, including access to any necessary devices, paperwork, office furniture, computer applications, software and a secure internet connection.

Establishing a homeworking agreement

Homeworking can be very different to face-to-face work practices, presenting all sorts of new practical daily challenges. It is important that you set out how you expect employees to perform while working remotely, exactly what they are required to do and how things will work in practice.

This should include agreeing to the following:

• At what times the employee will be available to work
• At what times the employee will be able to take breaks
• The ways in which employees will keep in touch and with whom
• Who employees should contact if they have any problems
• Exactly what the employee is required to do
• How their performance will be managed and measured

It is important to recognise that some individuals may find it hard to organise themselves when working from home, so setting daily or weekly tasks may be a good way of providing a suitable structure for those working remotely.

Ensuring cyber security and data protection

When working from home it is important that employees are fully trained in the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act. If you plan to let your staff use their own devices when working remotely, you need to think about how they will keep any important data safe and private, as well as how any hardcopy files and paperwork will be stored.

You should ensure that homeworkers store and save all online files in the central cloud storage for your company or organisation, and not locally on their own device. Your work from home policy should also include rules such as ensuring employees protect their own devices with antivirus software where necessary. You may need to offer a financial contribution to cover this cost.

Keeping in touch with homeworkers

Regularly keeping in touch with homeworkers is not only essential to the operational needs of your business, but to ensure their health and wellbeing.

It is important that employees have the means to easily communicate with their manager or colleagues, so as to share progress and stay up-to-date with work projects. This might involve new ways of working, for example, using video or conference calling technology, as well as ensuring that employees feel fully supported on both a professional and personal basis.

For those homeworkers with children or other caring responsibilities, you will need to be sensitive and flexible toward their situation. You may need to agree to a more flexible homeworking arrangement, for example, working reduced or different hours, or reducing work targets and being flexible about deadlines.

You may also need to make adjustments to any temporary arrangements to improve an individual’s working conditions, as well as ensuring sufficient IT support to cope with the number of staff working from home at any one time.

Need assistance?

Making changes to working practices can offer considerable benefits to both the employee and employer, but it will be important to have an effective working from home policy in place to have clarity of roles and responsibilities.

Ensuring that you have in place a homeworking policy, with clear guidelines as to what is expected of an employee working remotely, is imperative to maintaining the operational needs of your business, as well as the health and wellbeing of the homeworker.

By failing to establish clear boundaries, this could lead to all kinds of issues including a lack of productivity, unmotivated employees, social isolation and over-working or working unsocial hours. By providing guidance and support, maintaining regular contact and monitoring an employee’s performance, you can help to manage and pre-empt any potential issues.

DavidsonMorris’ employment lawyers can help with all aspects of workforce management. Working closely with our HR specialists, we offer a holistic advisory and support service for employers encompassing both the legal and people management elements of flexible and hybrid working arrangements. Speak to our  experts  today for advice.

Working from home policy FAQs 

What should be included in a working from home policy.

The policy should provide the official guidelines for anyone working from home and for managers responsible for managing homeworkers. This includes details of what is allowable, expectations and the procedures to follow.

What is the law on working from home?

There is no right to work from home, but some employees have a right to request flexible working, which could include a remote working arrangement.

Can an employer refuse working from home?

Employers must consider a statutory request for flexible working, but they may refuse if they have good reason, such as disproportionate costs.

Last updated: 5 August 2022

Founder and Managing Director Anne Morris is a fully qualified solicitor and trusted adviser to large corporates through to SMEs, providing strategic immigration and global mobility advice to support employers with UK operations to meet their workforce needs through corporate immigration.

She is a recognised by Legal 500 and Chambers as a legal expert and delivers Board-level advice on business migration and compliance risk management as well as overseeing the firm’s development of new client propositions and delivery of cost and time efficient processing of applications.

Anne is an active public speaker, immigration commentator , and immigration policy contributor and regularly hosts training sessions for employers and HR professionals

• Anne Morris https://www.davidsonmorris.com/author/anne/ Immigration & Societal Contributions
• Anne Morris https://www.davidsonmorris.com/author/anne/ A Guide to the Study Visa UK System
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About DavidsonMorris

As employer solutions lawyers, DavidsonMorris offers a complete and cost-effective capability to meet employers’ needs across UK immigration and employment law, HR and global mobility .

Led by Anne Morris, one of the UK’s preeminent immigration lawyers, and with rankings in The Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners , we’re a multi-disciplinary team helping organisations to meet their people objectives, while reducing legal risk and nurturing workforce relations.

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Working from home and hybrid working

Hybrid working is a type of flexible working where an employee splits their time between:

• the workplace
• remote working

Working from home is the most common way of working remotely.

An employee might work from home all the time, or as part of a hybrid working arrangement.

Home and hybrid working requests

How to ask for a change, respond to requests, and deal with disagreements.

Wellbeing when working from home

Including risk assessments, mental and physical health, and dealing with problems.

Home and hybrid working policies

Why employers need a policy, what goes in it, and what to consider.

Managing staff who work from home

How managers can support staff, manage and monitor performance, and keep in touch.

Find Acas training on flexible working (including working from home and hybrid working)

For the first time since the pandemic, Americans prefer hybrid over remote work—and it’s not the free lunches driving the shift

Employers have tried a throw-spaghetti-at-a-wall approach to get their workers back in the office after years of remote work, from threatening to withhold promotions unless employees show up to the office to putting beers on tap only steps away from cubicles.

These pleas have not always been well-received by employees, who have called sudden return-to-office mandates “ betrayals ,” saying it is unreasonable to go back to in-person work after being allowed to work at home for so long. But the angry calls for a remote-work rebellion are showing signs of quieting, a Morning Consult report from this month found. 

For the first time since the pandemic began, more workers are saying they prefer hybrid work to working completely remote. The survey, conducted in January, found that among 6,625 U.S. adults—3,389 of whom were employed—23% said they would prefer to do most of their work remotely, compared to 27% who responded the same way in 2023. Meanwhile, 29% reported they preferred hybrid work, up from 25% the year before. The number of employees who preferred to work in person most of the time (46%) did not change.

Not only is hybrid work now an appealing prospect for employees, but it makes them better workers, Morning Consult found. While employee engagement fell among both remote and in-person workers—as well as employed Americans as a whole—hybrid workers were the only cohort to report greater engagement over last year, with a 4% uptick to 92%.

The positive attitudes toward hybrid work come amid a turning point for work culture in the U.S. Remote work opportunities are changing with the times. As of February, only 11.5% of office jobs were fully remote. That’s down from over 61% in pandemic-era 2020, according to British telecom firm Ringover. And as the work landscape shifts, so, too, are employees’ feelings toward it.

“Four years ago, companies and workers were breathlessly talking about how remote work was the future,” Amy He, Morning Consult’s head of industry analysis and report author, told Fortune . “Now, four years later, companies and workers are kind of switching their tune a little bit.” 

Superficial perks aren’t cutting it

But according to He, while employers are offering back-to-work perks to lure their workers into the office, it’s not necessarily the driving factor in employees’ change of heart. 

“Getting free lunches and dinners—it’s nice, but it’s also smaller compared to the actual bigger costs and more importantly, the immovable costs, that come with having to go back to the office,” she said.

Employees are more concerned with employers addressing childcare and commuting, with 55% of respondents to Morning Consult’s survey saying that an employer paying for childcare was probably or definitely a factor in deciding to work in person more. Team lunches and working alongside colleagues were the lowest-ranked motivators for returning to the office, though 50% and 42% of respondents, respectively, still said they were probably or definitely important to in-person work.

Indeed, workers are more interested in letting money talk. Stanford economics professor Nicholas Bloom told the Wall Street Journal in August that workplace flexibility was worth the equivalent of an 8% pay raise. Largely thanks to inflation, day care costs have risen 36% in the past decade, a statistic of growing concern thanks to the COVID baby boom . Commuting is over $2,000 more expensive and takes 39 hours longer per year than it did before the pandemic as workers moved farther away from the office, making it harder for employers to sweeten the pot for their employees. 

So why are workers willing to surmount these obstacles? The reason is a lot less sexy than perks or promotions, He argued. With 90% of companies planning to ask employees to return to the office in some capacity by the end of 2024, according to Resume Builder, workers just don’t really have a choice in the matter—many have just stopped resisting the change.

It’s not as bad as it sounds, He said. As workers return to the office, even if reluctantly at first, they’re realizing that flexibility can take different forms. Maybe it means an easier commute to the gym after work or forming new habits that are actually better than working entirely from home.

“People in general are pretty adaptable,” she said.

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Newsom issues new return-to-office policy for state workers.

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Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration announced a new directive on Wednesday that will require state employees to work in the office at least two days a week.

The COVID-19 pandemic increased the need for remote and hybrid work models in order to prioritize safety.

According to a memo from the governor's office, agencies were directed to regularly update their remote work policies based on individual and operational needs.

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The memo said this dynamic has led to "inconsistencies" and "confusion" across state agencies. All agencies will soon be required to work under a singular policy, which includes two mandatory in-person days a week.

The new policy will take effect on June 17 but does not apply to state agencies that have already implemented a consistent remote work policy.

Employee requests for more than three days of remote work will be considered on a case-by-case basis, according to the administration.

Watch CBS News

State workers take stand against new California hybrid work policy

By Tori Apodaca

Updated on: April 12, 2024 / 8:25 AM PDT / CBS Sacramento

SACRAMENTO - California state workers are set to suit up and return to Sacramento offices at least two days per week starting June 17.

Gov. Gavin Newsom's office sent a letter to state employees this week, which said the policy is in response to the inconsistency in hybrid work approaches across agencies, but state workers want to keep working from home.

"State workers are saying no," said Irene Green, vice president for bargaining at the Service Employees International Union (SEIU 1000) that represents state workers. "They are willing and ready to fight this."

CBS13 spoke with multiple state workers who did not want to be identified but all shared this same stance.

"It has been a learning curve, but we've done really well up to this point," said one state worker who has worked for the California Environmental Protection Agency for the past five years. 

She is one of the 240,000 who will need to stop working from home at least two days per week. 

"Our scientists have already stated that this is going to have a negative impact on carbon emissions," the state worker said.

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg applauded the governor's mandate and what it will mean for the city. He gave this statement to CBS13: 

"I respect the desire of all our public sector workers to have the flexibility that enables a greater work life balance. At the same time, our city and downtown welcome you back to all the growing downtown has to offer; farmers markets, great events at Golden 1 Center and beyond, new restaurants and much more to come in the months and years ahead. Our small businesses especially welcome you back as they have been hardest hit since the pandemic. I applaud the governor for crafting a balanced and thoughtful approach."

California state workers want a better answer than business to bring them back to the office.

"We shouldn't be expected to go downtown and spend money just to bail out Mayor Steinberg," another state worker said.

Green believes the biggest impact will be on each state worker's budget. The union said state workers received a 9.26% pay decrease for two years during the pandemic.

Since 2020, each state worker got on average a 3% pay bump. They believe this does not keep up with inflation.

"I would argue if people don't have it in their budget to commute, how will they have it in their budget to buy coffee and lunch when they are in the office?" said Bill Hall, board chair of SEIU 1000.

CBS13 asked a different anonymous state worker who works for the Employment Development Department (EDD) what their message is to all the other jobs that have required employees to return to work.

"I feel like we've been doing it for so long in the telework position and environment that coming into the office I don't know if it's making a change or difference," the EDD worker said.

The EDD worker has been going into the office two days a week for a while now but knows many others have been fully remote. She said many state workers are starting to quit after they were hired, thinking they would be remote for good and not live in the area.

Another concern for state workers is parking problems. The only option for many state buildings is parking meters or parking structures which will be an added cost they have not had to deal with for the past four years.

"Technology has provided a way for us to advance. We are embracing that," Green said. "So let's not step away from it."

Green said each state department must send the union a notice and then meet with the union before the workers can return to the office.

According to Hall, the union has received a few notices but expects that the full return on June 17 may be delayed for some departments if the state cannot make this meeting deadline.

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More CEOs expect hybrid work is here to stay

• Fewer big-company CEOs expect workers to return to the office full-time, according to a KPMG survey.
• Just 34% of US CEOs expect office-based roles to return in the near future, down from 62% in 2023.
• The survey also showed corporate leaders are upbeat about their hiring plans and the US economy.

If you can work from home part of the time, you might be able to keep at it.

In a new survey, 34% of US CEOs said they expect workers whose roles were once tied to an office to be back in their cubicles five days a week in the next three years. That's down from 62% who held that view in 2023, according to the study released Thursday by KPMG US.

The shift in expectations over twelve months underscores how many more employers acknowledge that jobs that require workers to be back in the office — but only some of the time — are here to stay. It's been an at-times uneasy discussion. Proponents of this setup say it can boost morale and propel a better work-life balance when workers get to skip the commute on some days, but many big businesses have been pushing for a full-time RTO .

"Hybrid is likely here to stay," Paul Knopp, chair and CEO at KPMG US, told Business Insider.

The survey of 100 CEOs of large US companies found that 46% of them expect what had been office roles will be hybrid, up from 34% in 2023. But corporate chiefs seem to be holding the line on remote work, with only 3% of top bosses backing fully remote work. That's down from 4% in the prior year.

Beyond the staying power of hybrid working arrangements, the survey contained other nuggets of potentially welcome news for some workers feeling burned out : Three in 10 CEOs were exploring new ways of scheduling work, such as a four-day week or a four-and-a-half-day week .

The willingness to rethink how their offices operate comes as leaders otherwise appear upbeat about the prospects for America.

Eighty-seven percent of CEOs surveyed said they're confident in the growth trajectory of the US economy. And 78% felt that way about the global economy and the prospects for their companies in the next year.

Some seven in 10 CEOs said they expect to boost hiring during the next year, while only 4% expect to cut jobs during that time. About one-third of CEOs expected the hiring pickup would be "significant."

Related stories

Leaders could have difficulty bringing on some of the workers they need because the overall job market remains tight. Perhaps that's one reason nearly eight in 10 CEOs said they were focused on boosting workers' skills.

AI to the rescue

Almost seven of 10 CEOs said they were trying to use generative artificial intelligence to fill gaps in staffing.

Some workers and workplace experts have raised concerns about whether AI will eliminate jobs , and that tension is being felt in the workplace. About one in four CEOs surveyed said employee resistance was a top challenge to rolling out the technology within their company; about six in 10 said they were prepared to address workers' hesitation to use Gen AI.

Nearly four in 10 CEOs expect their companies will move from AI pilots to broader use within their organizations during the next 12 to 18 months.

Knopp said CEOs are looking for ways to adopt the technology more widely because they understand its importance.

"Almost to a person, every CEO I speak to believes that generative AI is transformative and that it's not hype. And what they're trying to do is determine how they actually use it in the longer term, knowing that the use cases are still somewhat nascent. But we're seeing that move from nascent to actual more implementation," he said.

One big shift in CEO thinking around AI came in response to whether the companies they run would disclose the technology's use through watermarks such as "made with assistance of generative AI" to let consumers know content isn't human-made. Eighty-one percent of CEOs now plan to flag when AI is involved, up from 19% in 2023.

Nearly all of the CEOs — 95% — reported that their companies had procedures for promoting the responsible use of GAI.

There are still worries.

CEOs' outlooks weren't all sunny. The US presidential election is giving some people reason to hit pause on "significant investment decisions," according to the survey. This includes major capital spending and mergers. Sixty-two percent of CEOs said they would wait until after November to proceed with these outlays.

"An election of this magnitude certainly introduces less clarity and certainty about what the legislative agenda and the regulatory agendas might look like in 2025," Knopp said.

CEOs also reported being worried about high interest rates, geopolitical challenges in general, and inflation.

"Early in the year, it seemed like the Fed was going to cut rates relatively soon," he said. "There's not a lot of confidence right now around when rate reductions might start to take hold."

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The Sunday Read: ‘What I Saw Working at The National Enquirer During Donald Trump’s Rise’

Inside the notorious “catch and kill” campaign that now stands at the heart of the former president’s legal trial..

By Lachlan Cartwright

Read by David Linski

Produced by Jack D’Isidoro and Aaron Esposito

Narration produced by Anna Diamond

Edited by John Woo

Original music by Aaron Esposito

Engineered by Corey Schreppel and Steven Szczesniak

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At the center of the criminal case against former President Donald Trump in Manhattan is the accusation that Trump took part in a scheme to turn The National Enquirer and its sister publications into an arm of his 2016 presidential campaign. The documents detailed three “hush money” payments made to a series of individuals to guarantee their silence about potentially damaging stories in the months before the election. Because this was done with the goal of helping his election chances, the case implied, these payments amounted to a form of illegal, undisclosed campaign spending. And because Trump created paperwork to make the payments seem like regular legal expenses, that amounted to a criminal effort at a coverup, argued Alvin Bragg, the district attorney of Manhattan. Trump has denied the charges against him.

For Lachlan Cartwright, reading the indictment was like stepping through the looking glass, because it described a three-year period in his own professional life, one that he has come to deeply regret. Now, as a former president faces a criminal trial for the first time in American history, Cartwright is forced to grapple with what really happened at The Enquirer in those years — and whether and how he can ever set things right.

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