Hybrid working continues to be a hot topic as more companies transition their employees back into the workplace after more than a year of homeworking. With as many as 73% of employees wanting to continue having flexible remote work options*, hybrid working seems to be the future for many organisations.
Here are some useful resources to refer to if your company is looking to make the move to hybrid working.
1. ‘Planning for hybrid working’ – CIPD
The CIPD provides advice and guidance on various HR topics and this guide details what you need to consider when planning to implement hybrid working for the long term.
It covers:
- What the benefits of hybrid working are
- How to develop policies and procedures
- How to plan manager training and development
- What the potential impacts will be at different points of the employee lifecycle
2. ‘Beyond Remote Work: Employee Experience for a Hybrid Workforce’ – Gartner
Gartner often runs free HR webinar sessions on the latest developments in the industry. This particular webinar discusses the impact of hybrid working on the employee experience, how to assess and improve employee experience, and what other organisations have done regarding hybrid working.
3. ‘Writing a hybrid working policy: a guide for HR’ – Personnel Today
When it comes to any major changes in the workplace, like transitioning to hybrid working, documentation laying out the guidelines and information about what employees can or can’t do is paramount. Additionally, this should be easily accessible by employees through a shared drive or posted in HR systems. If you’re feeling stuck on how to draft a policy on hybrid working, Personnel Today has a guide on what you should consider, such as the reason for the move, as well as expectations and limitations. The guide also shares a sample template from online HR information provider, XpertHR.
4. ‘Hybrid working: Your HR questions answered’ – XpertHR
In this Q&A article, XpertHR answers common questions HR professionals may have regarding hybrid working. The article covers questions from different stages of the transition process: from deciding if it’s the right direction for your business and making the necessary preparations, to ensuring your legal obligations are covered and changes are communicated clearly to staff. XpertHR also shares some suggestions on what and how to discuss new working arrangements with employees at an individual level, and offers letter templates on communicating the transition to hybrid working.
5. ‘Flexible working’ – Gov.uk
As eligible employees already have the right to request flexible working, it’s important to make sure you are aware of the legal requirements. The Government website provides an overview of the different types of flexible working, how to handle requests and on rare occasions, appeals.
6. ‘Ask Catalyst Express: Inclusive Hybrid Workplaces’ – Catalyst
One of the challenges of hybrid working is making sure it’s inclusive and the playing field is level. For example, promotion opportunities should not be limited to on-site employees, but in pre-COVID times, this was often the case, leaving remote workers feeling unappreciated or unrecognised.
Non-profit organisation, Catalyst, gathers their own research as well as other major organisations’ findings on how to ensure companies can create inclusive hybrid workplaces. They share case studies, reports and toolkits from various sources, giving business leaders and HR professionals wide-ranging views and information on hybrid working that can help them make the best decision for their own organisations.
*https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index/hybrid-work
