Everything You Need To Know About a Hybrid Work Schedule

During the pandemic, people around the globe were sent home and instructed to work from there until further notice. Many traded their suits and business casual dress code for joggers, comfy clothes, and occasionally pajamas. Remote workers had to adapt quickly, and so did employers. Many newly remote teams didn’t have office furniture or suitable Wi-Fi and were unprepared to create a healthy, effective office workspace.

Fast forward to today, and only a fraction of workers return to doing in-office work full-time. Some workers remained remote, as a portion of offices downsized their office space or shut down offices permanently in favor of remote work. Others adopted a work schedule that some workers view as a compromise — welcome to the era of a hybrid work schedule.

In 2022, 60 million full-time workers reported they could get their job done by working remotely. To put this in perspective, that’s roughly half of the workers in the U.S.

Different working options have become more manageable with the latest tools and tech stack options, enabling employees to have real-time communication and video meetings. Video platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams and the ability to streamline communication through Slack allow employers to feel comfortable implementing hybrid work policies and think about the workspace in a whole new way.

Hybrid work schedules are a combination of in-office work and work that’s done from home. Some call it the best of both worlds, without having to choose an all-or-nothing approach.

Hybrid work schedules offer employees a work-life balance and the opportunity to get more time back into their personal schedules. Hybrid work schedules allow employees to take some of their time back. People don’t have to commit as much time to long commutes, sitting in traffic, or even work-related errands, such as picking up business attire at the dry cleaner.

Some employers require employees to stick to an office schedule on specific days, with set days of the week reserved for in-office days. Other employers have much more flexible schedules, allowing employees to choose the in-office times that work best for them.

Let’s explore the different types of hybrid work schedules as the world tentatively moves toward the post-pandemic period, slowly returning to our new normal.

Hybrid work environments can look different for different companies and may even vary among employees or specific teams at the same company.

For example, some business workflows necessitate that everyone is in the office on specific days. For other teams, their workday may not be impacted by a team member working at an off-site location. In many cases, this work tends to be more autonomous and requires less direct collaboration.

Most employers who have adopted a hybrid work schedule aren’t deeply concerned about employees’ work locations on the days their team is out of the office. Instead, as long as the employee is reachable, available for check-ins, and is productive, that takes the main focus.

There are varying work arrangements that can exist under the great hybrid umbrella. Review these examples below:

Typically, this schedule involves working at home or at another off-site location on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Employees are expected to commute to the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays. In-office days are set to be the same specific days weekly.

For employees who have invested in setting up a comfortable home office that includes ergonomic furnishings, such as a standing desk or an ergonomic chair that sports lumbar support, working at home can feel like a great perk, with fewer distractions at the water cooler.

Two Days at Home Schedule

This schedule is as it implies and is the reverse of three days of at-home schedules. Employees are expected to be in the office three predetermined days each week, and employees are granted remote work for the other two days.

This schedule is particularly helpful for those looking to travel over the weekend. Workers can telecommute on Friday and enjoy a trip over the weekend, returning in time to clock in, in person, at the office.

Choose Your In-Office Days Schedule

Some hybrid schedules have more flexibility, with hybrid work policies that state the employees need to work in the office a minimum of a set number of days per week. For example, some hybrid schedules only require employees to work in the office one day or two days per week but don’t restrict the schedule to specific days. This allows the employee to choose which days work better for themselves or their families.

Office Drop-In Schedule

The most flexible of the hybrid work schedules is the drop-in work office schedule. With these hybrid work arrangements, employees can come to the office on any day they wish, as often as they feel appropriate to get the job done. They are expected to make in-office appearances periodically, with a “use your judgment” mentality.

This type of hybrid work policy requires a lot of trust in employees, and having the right staff in place is paramount for this much flexibility. Some companies claim it’s their secret sauce to job satisfaction and happier employees that feel more in charge of their lives – both personally and professionally.

Decision-making has been a tricky task for employers when setting a work schedule. Many have been under scrutiny by employees and the media when it comes to which work schedule is better for employees and for business. Depending on the industry and the type of work being done, hybrid work schedules work better in certain situations than others.

Which is better: Doing your job at work and seeing team members in person or performing the majority of your job at home and going to the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays, for example? There is no right or wrong answer, but it ultimately comes down to two things — personal preferences and situations and the ability to get the job done.

Studies have shown that employees aren’t lobbying for a hybrid work schedule necessarily; it’s more about flexibility. If a hybrid work schedule provides flexibility to pick your kid up from soccer, go to an appointment, or make your 5 pm spring class and still get in your work time and complete your job, that’s a win-win situation for the employee and the employer.

• Avoid burnout with five days in the office
• Enjoy more of a work-life balance
• Less commuting means more time for living
• Lower travel expenses, such as gas, subway, or other work commuting costs
• More time with cats or dogs leads to greater personal satisfaction for pet owners
• Higher job satisfaction overall due to having more control over your schedule
• Fewer distractions in-office can make workers more productive and focused

• Working at home can blur the lines and boundaries and cause overworking
• Lack of routine in the day can impact mental health
• Too many video meetings to compensate for lack of face-to-face, in-office work time
• Work weeks run together due to a lack of structure
• Less social interaction with co-workers can impact team building and collaboration
• Isolation is a risk, as well as employers feeling disengaged from co-workers
  

The Future of Remote Work

Among the options of in-person work, remote employees, and offering a hybrid workplace, a hybrid team is the clear winner – with 53% of employers favoring a hybrid work model, with some remote days and only 24% expecting to offer a fully remote schedule.

Employees have expressed their preferences for work location, and it seems what they really favor is a flexible schedule to live their lives fully. Even the most dedicated employees want to work to live, not live to work. For some, this means a hybrid schedule is their sweet spot.

Whether you currently have a remote job, or a hybrid work schedule, having a comfortable place to work is important for long-term physical and mental health. Invest in yourself by exploring ergonomic furniture that works as hard as you do — you’re worth it.

Sources:

The Future of Hybrid Work: 5 Key Questions Answered With Data | Gallup

Here’s why flexibility, not hybrid, is what employees say they want | CNBC

The Loneliness of the Hybrid Worker | MIT Sloan

As Employers Fret over Remote Work, Hybrid Schedules May Be Here to Stay | BusinessWest