Hello Hybrid

It’s hard to say for sure now – but from the readings I’ve scoured, yes, lots of people want a remote working role – but there are also plenty of people who are just as keen to get back to the office. 

According to a 2022 study by PwC, 11% of US workers would prefer to work full-time in the office, and 62% said they’d like to spend at least some time there. More than half (51%) of managers are also confident their employees would be keen to return to the office full-time, according to GoodHire. 

The motivations of these people might vary – some long for the sociability of the office, while others prefer a clear boundary between work and home. But regardless, companies will need to work out how to accommodate the needs of people who want to be in offices as well as those who don’t, as they map out their post-pandemic working models. 

While many people love the flexibility that remote work brings, for others the loss of an office environment and the social contact it provides can be a major blow. 

This situation of not having a routine where you get up, leave the house, and socialise and interact with other people throughout the day, can affect your mental health. Meaning, not to leave your house for long periods of time, is not good for you. 

It is really about a loss of connection and lack of structure – and that can have an impact for some people. 

According to a May 2021 study by the American Psychiatric Association, nearly two-thirds of people who spend at least some time working from home say they’ve felt isolated or lonely from time to time. For 17%, that’s a constant feeling. Individual family circumstances might feed into how acutely workers miss the office too; studies have shown that during lockdown, people living with family members or a partner experienced far fewer problems with their mental health. 

And it isn’t only wellbeing and social contact that some workers fear is at stake if they spend all day at home, though. It’s also their career prospects. 

Only 40% of UK workers surveyed by employment and HR specialists WorkNest are confident that office-based and home-based staff will be rewarded equally in the next 12 months, according to research shared with BBC Worklife. And of full-time remote workers, two thirds are concerned about missing out on development opportunities by being based at home, according to PwC. 

Working in an office also provides a formal start and end point to the working day – useful boundaries as more and more home-workers report difficulty ring-fencing personal and professional lives. 

Methinks, there are no easy answers. The bottom line is that companies must find a balance. 

Victoria McLean, UK-based founder & CEO of career consultancy City CV, says that businesses are navigating tricky circumstances in which it can be almost impossible to keep everyone happy. “A lot of businesses I talk to are now offering hybrid working, but have one day a week when everyone has to be in the office. This seems to be a good balance of flexible working with having everyone regularly together”. 

For those stuck working at home and loathing it, McLean recommends taking regular breaks from the computer, telling line managers when you’re struggling and filling the day with lots of personal connection, be it chat rooms or video calls with colleagues. Plus, “set a boundary between your work and personal life so you're not 'always on'”. 

Companies need to create a culture of communication and flexibility to meet employees’ needs. For those businesses requiring people to work remotely, that includes creating more opportunities for staff to connect via company-wide socials, regular check-ins from line managers and turning video calling into the default mode of catching up rather than email. 

The important thing is to encourage employees to stay connected. 

Indeed, the shift to remote work has been far from straightforward, and many companies are now grappling with the problem of how to design a model that works for everyone. The evidence to date indicates that people’s personal circumstances and preferences are a key factor in whether remote work brings them any benefits – and, if so, whether the value of these benefits overrides downsides like isolation and loneliness. 

Implementing remote work is really about re-imagining what it means for each and every person to be at work. It is important to recognize that employers need to balance flexibility, give people the tools they need to remain productive and fulfil the social needs of employees. What that ideal balance looks like will change from organization to organization.