With the pandemic going on for more than two years now, people who were so used to working at the office were forced to work from home to stop the virus from spreading. Who would've thought that the discussion would lead to something like, "Hi, we're going to a meeting in sweatpants" or "I haven't showered today but I'm working already." Such scenarios weren't something we would think about years ago, but look where we are today.
Now that it has been more than two years since we started working from home, certain guidelines and restrictions are implemented for those who are required to go back to the office. While working from the office (WFO) is mandatory for employees in certain companies, it's not for other companies. It's called Hybrid Work-blending WFO and remote work at the same time, or even fully working remotely from other locations.
But the question is, are we ready for that? Waking up last minute logging into our work laptop and starting working, unshowered, still in PJs have been a comfortable routine. This kind of flexibility still makes employees deliver as usual, regardless where they're located. According to research conducted by Edelman Data x Intelligence, 66% leaders consider their companies to accommodate hybrid work, 73% employees want remote work option to stay, and 67% employees want more in-person work.
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With the recent variant called Omicron starting to spread, companies are reconsidering having employees back to the office. According to The Washington Post, there's a downside of remote work, where person-to-person interaction helps the shape of company culture. Maintaining performance and collaboration at work also remain as top concerns. Therefore, companies put a lot of considerations during transition time for hybrid work. They need to redefine the role of physical office for employees and refine their approach to risk management such as ensuring availability of in-house IT teams to cater to technical issues. Artificial Intelligence (AI) can also help drive the environment as it thrives on data, as a centralized repository for all company data is necessary that can only be achieved in the cloud. By having it in the cloud, data access can be maintained for workers at home, office, or everywhere else. It helps employees easier in searching and sharing documents, emails, or any other files while still having tight security.
However, hybrid work can be emotionally exhausting. As mentioned, working from home can be comfortable but doing hybrid work means maintaining two workspaces at a time-home and the office. Readjusting back to "normal" office life before COVID-19 or commuting back to work can be exhausting for some people, as it disrupts the working life schedule at home that employees are used to by now. With the uncertainty of when this pandemic is ever going to see its end, it's a constant gamble for employees to go back to the office although there are certain guidelines and restrictions in conducting in-person meetings or conversations. But going to the office is important for employees to have social activity with fellow colleagues or even expand networks not only with colleagues but also with clients.
In the end, employers need to keep an eye on how employees feel about hybrid work models regardless of how supportive and ready they are on the technical side. Employers need to ensure that they create new workspaces that accommodate it (e.g. social distancing, efficient schedule, effective communications, etc.). If these things aren't put into consideration, employees might feel that the new normal would be more inflexible than flexible.
