Hybrid or Flexible Working?

Are you thinking that you are, or would like, to move towards a hybrid way of working?

Will you be offering a permanent blend of main workplace and remote working? For example, 3 days in the office, 2 days at home.

Or are you thinking that you will actively promote individual employees requesting ways of working that will suit just them? So, a team could be made up of a variety of working shifts and patterns and locations (NB – remember that there is a legal obligation to consider this anyway!).

Or are you phasing in the return to the workplace with the intention that everyone will be back at some point.

It’s important to know the difference:

• the first is hybrid working where the blended approach is managed by the business and is intended to benefit the business as well as the employee.
• the second is flexible working where the business has a policy and process for handling formal requests to change the pattern of working to suit the employee
• the last is neither of the above – it’s a transition back to pre-Covid ways of working

It seems nit-picking to differentiate, but your intention should steer your planning and communication. Although the last option is hybrid working right now, it requires different planning and support to a business that intends to work like this permanently. And although a person can request to work from home (flexible working), this would be managed differently to a person who is told their role now must be blended i.e. hybrid.

Be clear about this so that you can choose a path that is aligned to your strategy and is communicated and managed well with your people – both your business and your people will be massively affected so it pays to be clear.?

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