In recent years, many businesses have re-evaluated how they operate. One of the most significant changes has been where work is done, with more and more people working remotely.
According to a research briefing from the UK Parliament, The impact of remote and hybrid working on workers and organisations, before the pandemic, hybrid working had been increasing gradually, with around 12% of the UK workforce working at least one day a week from home and 5% working remotely for most of their working week.
During the pandemic in June 2020, the number of people working from home peaked at 49%, with 38% working exclusively at home and 11% working remotely at least one day per week. After restrictions were lifted, this number gradually decreased but has remained higher than pre-pandemic. In September 2022, 22% of the GB workforce worked from home on at least one day of the previous week, and 13% worked entirely remotely.
While remote working has its advantages, there are also some disadvantages, such as isolation and a lack of collaboration. This is where hybrid working and smart office solutions come in. Hybrid working is a mix of remote and office-based work, and it can offer the best of both worlds for both employers and employees.
Related Reading: The Hybrid Working Model: What Is It and Can It Work?
Advantages for employees
1. Increased flexibility
One of the biggest advantages of hybrid working is that it offers increased flexibility. With a hybrid arrangement, you can usually choose when and where you work as long as you get your work done. This can be a great perk for employees with family or other commitments that make it difficult to work traditional hours.
Employees no longer have to commute to an office daily, giving them more time to spend with family or on personal pursuits. Additionally, hybrid working schedules can be tailored to each individual’s needs, making achieving a good work/life balance easier. This can be a great benefit for parents who need to stay home with their children during the day, those with caring responsibilities or employees who live far from the office.
Buffer’s State of Remote Work 2022 Report (in partnership with Nomad List and Remote OK) reported that of the 2118 workers they surveyed, 67% reported flexibility in how they spend their time. Also, 62% had the flexibility to choose their work location, and 55% reported greater flexibility in where they can choose to live.
This, in turn, affects personal finances, with 48% saying working remotely was better for them financially. This was likely due to savings in travel costs, buying lunches, or even being able to live in less expensive areas as the distance from the office is less important if you only have to commute once a week or now and then.
2. Improved work/life balance
The increased flexibility that comes with hybrid working arrangements can also lead to improved mental health and happiness. The study by Buffer found that 93% of hybrid workers are trusted by their employer to work remotely, and they feel happier because they have more control over their environment and schedule. And since happy employees are more productive, it’s a win for everyone.
When employees have the option to work from home, they can take care of personal errands or appointments during the day without having to use vacation time or take a leave of absence. This can lead to improved morale and productivity at work. And when employees are happy and productive, that’s good for business!
3. Greater productivity
Contrary to popular belief, working from home can increase productivity. A study by Stanford University found that remote workers were 13% more productive than their office-based counterparts. Many people find that they’re more productive when they can work from home. Without the distractions of an office environment, you can often get more work done in less time. And, since you can design your own workspace at home, you can create an environment conducive to focusing and getting work done efficiently.
In addition, the Buffer report found that employees were more excited about their job once they shifted to remote/hybrid work.
4. New ways to collaborate
In the past, collaboration meant working side-by-side in the same physical space. But with the rise of remote work, that’s no longer the only way to get things done. By bringing together employees from different locations, hybrid working redefines collaboration and helps to overcome some of the challenges of traditional work environments.
For example, hybrid working can help to boost creativity and innovation by exposing employees to new perspectives. New technology to facilitate communication allowing employees to work together in person and online, has also introduced more inclusive ways of working together.
5. Fewer episodes of illness
Employees who spend less time in the office or on a public commute are exposed to fewer risks, such as ergonomic injuries and picking up colds and sickness bugs. Likewise, workers are less likely to take time off work with a minor illness if they can work from home rather than travelling to and working from the office. They also tend to have lower stress levels, which can lead to improved mental health and increased productivity.
Related Reading: What Are the Differences Between Agile, Hybrid & Flexible Working?
So the consensus is that employees love having the opportunity to work from home, with 97% of people questioned in the Buffer report stating that they would like to work remotely, at least some of the time, for the rest of their career.
Advantages for employers
1. Increased productivity and engagement
Studies have shown that employees who can work remotely are more productive and engaged than those who do not. And while several factors can contribute to this, one of the key benefits for employers is that employees tend to have more control over their work/life balance when they can work from home. This can lead to happier, more engaged employees who are less likely to experience burnout or other negative consequences of being overworked.
That’s because they’re not bound by the 9-5 grind and can work when they’re feeling most productive. They can also create their own optimal working environment, from reducing distractions to finding the perfect balance of noise and silence.
The State of Remote Work 2022 report found that 40% of employees are working more since they began working remotely, likely due to having more time in their day without the daily commute and being able to work when it best suits them without distractions. So a happier workforce who are working more? That’s a huge win for businesses.
2. Reduced Overhead Costs
Another benefit of hybrid working arrangements is that they can help reduce overhead costs for employers. For example, if an employer has 10 employees who each work remotely two days per week, that’s the equivalent of eliminating two full-time positions in terms of office space and other associated costs.
There will still be some costs associated with maintaining a remote workforce, for example, investing in hybrid working software solutions and introducing employee monitoring software that can help manage the productivity of a remote team. However, these are typically much lower than the cost of maintaining a traditional office space. When fewer people come into the office daily, businesses can save money on rent, utilities, office supplies, food and cleaning services.
Related Reading: Is The 9-5 Working Day Dead? How to Adapt Your Business
3. Improved recruitment and retention
Hybrid working arrangements can also improve an employer’s ability to recruit and retain top talent. In today’s competitive job market, job seekers are increasingly looking for companies that offer flexible working arrangements. And by providing hybrid working arrangements, employers can attract new talent and also keep existing employees from leaving for greener pastures.
Employers also have the opportunity to hire from a much larger pool of talent when they are not bound by location.
4. You are helping the environment
There have also been some unexpected effects of employees working from home. According to an IQAir report, the slowdown of economic activity during the pandemic has the potential to reduce fine particulate air pollution by as much as 60%, primarily because of the diminished use of combustion-engine vehicles.
5. More efficient use of time
When working from home, hybrid workers primarily focus on independent work tasks and training away from the distractions of the office. This time to focus on personal work tasks and responsibilities means that employees spend more time on teamwork, collaboration and relationship-building when on-site and have a proper chance to meet with their managers one-to-one. However, it should be noted that managers must liaise with their staff online regularly to avoid feelings of isolation and lack of communication.
A Gallup piece on The Advantages and Challenges of Hybrid Work reported that 60% of respondents spent their time in the office in meetings or collaborating with colleagues. While 86% said that their time at home was spent working independently.
Related Reading: How to Build Employee Engagement, Satisfaction, and Increase Staff Retention
So there you have it; hybrid working has enormous advantages for employees and employers, as long as it is managed effectively. The biggest challenge for hybrid work is better coordination of resources, at home and on-site.
Home offices must be fully functional, permanent workstations that maximise personal productivity. On-site offices and conference rooms should be remote-capable collaboration stations, so remote participants are fully included in team interactions. By making a few simple changes, hybrid working could be the answer to happiness at work for everyone.
Be sure to follow the Cloudbooking blog to get more insights on how to support employee work-life balance in your organisation. If you need a solution to help you create an efficient, flexible or hybrid working environment with smart office capabilities, get in touch with the Cloudbooking team. Schedule an obligation-free demo to learn how our workspace management platform works.
