Are you prepared for a hybrid working model?
On the 19th July 2021, when the lifting of lockdown restrictions were announced, Prime Minister Boris Johnson recommended a “gradual return to work” and said employers in England would “be able to start planning a safe return to the workplace.” The government wants to help companies that have struggled during lockdown and is keen to cut the cost of paying furloughed staff by encouraging businesses to reopen.
However, research shows that the majority of UK employees expect to move to a hybrid working model – with time spent in the office limited to three days or fewer a week. We take a look at the implications for company bosses trying to cater for a hybrid model and what employers can do to ensure their teams have adequate equipment and support to perform their roles from multiple locations.
Majority of UK employees expect to move to hybrid working
New research conducted by the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM) found that the vast majority of employees will expect a level of ‘hybrid’ working going forward – with nearly half (44%) of those surveyed planning to work from the office just three days or less a week. The findings also revealed that 63% of employees now believe the office is unnecessary – a rise of a fifth since the first lockdown. Interestingly 66% of 18-24 year olds admitted that not being offered flexible work patterns would be reason to look for a new job.
The IWFM is calling on employers to ensure that hybrid working is accessible for all. In the published findings, Chris Moriarty, Director of Insight at the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management commented, “A true commitment to ‘hybrid working’ will give employees and employers flexibility to work in a way that is best suited to them - allowing them to reap the productivity and social benefits of both home and office working environments, how and when it best suits their needs. Employers should now make every effort to provide staff with a genuine choice to perform their role wherever they feel their performance would be best supported - adapting the office space, incentives and policies to reflect the changing nature of the workspace environment.”
Preparing for hybrid working
For many organisations, workplaces will need to look and function very differently when accommodating a hybrid working model. Consideration will need to be given to the number of employees that can be ‘on site’ at any one time and how roles should be prioritised and the timetables organised. Repurposing the space to accommodate flexible working arrangements and social distancing requirements is going to be a priority for most businesses and it’s something we discussed in our blog Repurposing the office post Covid-19.
One thing is for sure, the need for more flexible working within the office environment will be a necessity for most organisations, with hot desking and more modular office furniture solutions providing different options to suit different needs and tasks.
The importance of an ergonomic setup
Most employers will also need to make sure that workers have everything they need to do their jobs comfortably and productively from multiple locations. The benefits of home working have been heavily documented during the pandemic, but so too have the challenges of working from home. The pros of improved work/life balance, money and time saved on commutes and increased productivity have been offset by issues around temporary home office set-ups, lack of stationery, equipment and IT access, as well as security issues.
The concept of hybrid working certainly looks to be a popular model that is likely to be around for a while. Making sure employees are ergonomically set up with the appropriate equipment wherever they are working is essential to mental and physical well-being. Providing the right furniture is an absolute must. Check out our blog Safety pays – the benefits of ergonomic office furniture. It’s also worth considering offering employees a workplace DSE assessment to access free advice on how employees can improve their home office set-up to aid comfort and prevent injury.
Working@Home
We want to help employers provide the support and tools that their employees need in order to concentrate and work safely and productively from home.
Commercial Interiors
Over 200 pages of design ideas, advice and product information. Download the brochure now.
Here at The Business Supplies Group (BSG) we have everything you need to make sure your hybrid working model is a success and your team is comfortably accommodated wherever they choose to work – from office stationery, ergonomic furniture solutions and printer packages to DSE assessments and hygiene and Covid protection – and everything in between. Talk to us today and let’s see how we can help your business with a successful hybrid setup.
More reading…
