COVID-19 and the Future of Hybrid Working
As the world enters the next few months with fewer COVID restrictions and concerns, it is important to think about what the future holds for employees who have gotten used to the hybrid, online work environment of the last two years.
According to a study by Pew Research, the number of adults working from home all or most of the time is down from 71% to 59% since October of 2020 in the height of the pandemic. Most of those continuing to stay home are doing so not due to COVID concerns, but instead state that working from home has allowed them to have a better work-life balance, more productivity, and more flexibility. In the future, not all workers may be willing to commit to a fully in-office job. According to Gallup, 54% of employees working exclusively from home would look for another job if asked to return to in-office work full time, while 38% of hybrid workers said the same. Without the flexibility of employers post-COVID, many may experience a high percentage of resignation in the coming months.
Why is it that many workers prefer hybrid flexibility? The number one reason stated in the Gallup survey was avoidance of a commute. During the period of COVID-19, large numbers of employees forced to work from home were able to move farther from their job to suburbs or across the country to cities more friendly for their lifestyle. Now that they are being asked to return to work, these people are not willing to make the trek to the office every day, especially with rising gas prices. The second and third top reasons were an increase in overall well being and more ideal flexibility with family life and obligations. By allowing hybrid flexibility, employers would allow workers to feel more comfortable and happy with their lives, which could encourage staying at jobs for longer post-COVID.
The major question being asked by employers now is what a standard workweek would look like under a hybrid-flexible office environment. There is not a specific consensus as to how the workweek should be divided and by who. 60% of people would want to work with their employer to decide how to split home and office work, but cannot agree on a method, while the rest would prefer to have complete autonomy over their workweek. However, most can agree that 1-3 days in-office would be an ideal situation for hybrid workers.
The office life post-COVID-19 will clearly not be going back to the way it was before. However, the question as to what it will look like is still up in the air. One thing that is clear is that to avoid massive walkouts, employers need to encourage some form of flexibility in work schedules. As the world opens up to more interaction in the coming months, people will need to lookout to see how they must change with the rest of the population.
Submitted by KJ Worley