The Pros and Cons of Hybrid Work Model

The Pros and Cons of Hybrid Work Model

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the way people work. Most of us had to work from home during the pandemic and some companies have chosen to maintain the working from home model. Slowly but surely people are returning to offices full time or on a flexible basis. Due to the changes we’ve had to adapt to a new work model has emerged The Hybrid Work Model!

What is a Hybrid Work Model?

The Hybrid Work Model is what allows employees to work from home but also from the office. It’s up to the individual company to decide how often they’ll need to come into the office, if at all. In this blog we will analyse the PROs and CONs of the Hybrid Work.

Pros of a hybrid workplace

·????????Happier Employees – The biggest benefit of a hybrid workplace is happier employees. Since the Covid hit, many employees have been working from home and are loving it. Apart from the freedom of plan your own schedule (till a certain point), not having to commute is undoubtedly seeing as the top WFH benefit. A recent survey shows that 1 in 4 workers has quit their jobs due to commutes. Remote work doesn’t have to always mean working from home either, the flexibility to be able to work at a coffee shop or even coworking space sometimes boost up the morale of the workers. Statistics reveal that 89% of people who joined a coworking space, for example, feel happier.

·????????Increased Productivity – Long time ago now, a hybrid work model was viewed as a recipe for failure. Most managers believed that workers must work under supervision to be productive. But more recent survey proves the opposite. A study conducted by Mercer involving 800 employees revealed that 94% of the participants felt that productivity was at least the same, if not higher when working remotely vs. at the office. A 2-year study by Stanford looking at the productivity of people working from home also showed surprising benefits. It found that WFH employees were much more likely to work a full day every day compared to people who came into the office.

·????????Saves Money – According to recent research, remote workers save on average $4,000 annually. The primary savings come in the form of not having to commute to work daily. A shift to a hybrid work model also helps employers reduce cost in various ways like for example: savings in electricity bills and the reduction in cleaning services. Apparently, a hybrid work model can be much more cost-effective for both the worker and the employer.

·????????Safer Work Environment – Covid-19 could be seen as the biggest threat the world economy has ever faced. Even with vaccination, health experts believe that social distancing measures will still need to be practiced in the foreseeable future as variants evade current vaccines. A hybrid work model is much safer during any pandemic, as it means employees that suspect they are sick can work from home isolated, meaning reduced risk of spreading any virus to other employees. By controlling the number of people that come into the office daily, social distancing is also much easier to implement in a hybrid work model.

However, hybrid working is not only rainbows and unicorns and has its disadvantages...

Cons of a hybrid workplace

·????????Employee Burnout – Left unchecked and with little or no supervision, a hybrid work model can slowly lead to employee burnout. This is because it’s very difficult to set boundaries when you’re working from home. The temptation to work late into the night and wake up at 10 am or even 11 am always there, disrupting your sleep schedule. If you have other family members present in the house during the day, distraction is also an ever-constant factor. Eventually, work starts to pile up as you try to balance work and home life, leading to burnout. Which means that working from home could actually become more stressful for workers in certain situation.

·????????Increased Employee Isolation – The sense of isolation is undoubted one of the most common complaints. At the office, there’s always someone to chat with, tell jokes or catch up on the latest office gossip and nights out. As social animals, frequent mental stimulation and interaction are essential for our overall well-being. According to a report, remote workers shown sign of loneliness, that could potentially lead to mental health issues such as depression.

·????????Cyber Risks – With a hybrid work model, embracing technology is inevitable, and with technology comes security risks. Working from home is especially vulnerable to security threats and data loss due to more relaxed security protocols. Securing employees’ computers can be a costly venture for businesses. It means providing proper training, making sure remote computers are always updated, and enforcing tight passports. A comprehensive backup procedure also needs to be deployed.

As you can see hybrid work model simply isn’t for all types of businesses. A hybrid work model combines the best of Working from Home and at the office to create an environment that can satisfy both employers and their workers.

We work with several well-known organisations across the UK and Europe that offer fully remote and hybrid working roles you could potentially be suitable for.

For all Dynamics NAV related hybrid opportunities please contact me on [email protected] for all other Microsoft Tech please drop us a message on [email protected] !?