Working from home is not a new experience but now this teleworking is heavily implemented during pandemic situations. Researcher have argued about its positive and negative impacts. According to Bloom, Working from home has increased productivity and a better option for the creative workers (Bloom, 2014). Raynols study was based on a survey of 3000 professionals. 97% of the respondents agreed that flexible work schedule has positive impact on their quality life. Remote work could help them reduce stress and increase productivity by reducing distractions during the working day. While the adjustment to remote work was not always easy, a large percentage of businesses found it to be surprisingly productive.
The covid-19 epidemic is a watershed moment in the growth of hybrid labor. Moreover, a third of US households reported working from home more frequently than before the epidemic, according to a study conducted by the US Census Bureau in August 2020. Work from home experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic response are likely to differ from previous experiences because a significant portion of the workforce has been mandated to work from home for a short period of time for safety reasons, whereas pre-pandemic, working from home was often a choice for workers who wanted or needed it (Das et el., 2021).
When done correctly, hybrid work creates an environment that is focused on the employees. That means the on-site experience is tailored to their requirements and is a pleasant place to work. A hybrid work paradigm, in contrast to remote work, provides for face-to-face communication and cooperation, which is favorable to healthy team building and, as a result, improved employee collaboration. When everyone is working in identical conditions, fairness—or the absence of favoritism—is easy to detect. However, the great majority of knowledge workers, as well as most employers, today want a mixed strategy.
A hybrid work style allows employees to work from home for part of the week and then return to the office for the rest of the week. A hybrid work model is the greatest choice for organizations wanting to adapt to a post-pandemic environment because of this intrinsic demand for independence, flexibility, and face-to-face communication. As previously said, a hybrid work paradigm has a number of advantages, including higher productivity and employee happiness, greater possibilities for continuous learning, stronger collaborative dynamics and work relationships, and better mental health outcomes for employees.
The benefits and drawbacks of all-remote, location-flexible, and time-flexible models are demonstrated in these pre-covid studies in hybrid work. Many organizations will benefit from operational cost reductions, such as decreased office space requirements and enhanced human resource results.
People expect their bosses and leaders to understand and sympathize with their particular problems. Remote employees, in particular, demand more one-on-one encounters and informal talks. Face-to-face interactions can improve the relationship even more in hybrid work contexts. Instead of dealing with vast networks, the Covid-19 issue and remote work have strengthened relationships in smaller, closer groups. In addition to an increase in resignations, the market has broadened as employers are increasingly willing to hire personnel from other parts of the world. Minorities, women with children, and talent in smaller cities who want remote work will find it more accessible.
Hybrid models run the danger of establishing performance disparities between employees who spend most of their time in the office and those who spend most of their time outside. Frequent in-person employees may have an edge over others in terms of exposure and recognition, as well as access to information and resources, if suitable protections are not in place. Employees who work from home frequently may experience a negative influence on their career because of a lack of engagement with coworkers and management. Those who desire to go up the corporate ladder may feel pressured to spend more time in the workplace to be seen by the higher-ups. If employees are productive at home, no one will notice. Employees who spend more time working remotely may feel unappreciated or even rejected if they continue to spend less time in the office without regular, consistent input from their superiors.
Adaptability is one of the most crucial traits that will aid organizations and people in navigating the hybrid work revolution. Next generation will be much more focused on quality of life not standard of life. They want a friendly, empathetic work environment not toxic one.
References
Bloom, N. (2014). To raise productivity, let more employees work from home. Harvard Business Review, JAN-FEB.
Das, M., Tang, J., Ringland, K. E., & Piper, A. M. (2021). Towards Accessible Remote Work: Understanding Work-from-Home Practices of Neurodivergent Professionals. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 5(CSCW1), 1-30.
Raynols, B. (2018). The Mental Health Benefits of Remote and Flexible Work. Retrieved 13 October 2020, from https://www.mhanational.org/blog/mental-health-benefits-remote-and-flexible-work
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