With Covid case counts soaring, fueled by the highly contagious Omicron variant, businesses are again weighing when to reopen and what steps they need to take to do so safely. While some establishments already re-settled back into their respective office environments, we couldn’t shake the lingering idea that we may move back into our home workspaces anytime soon.
In Search of a Solution
According to JanJaap Boogaard, the chief of the EMEA Workplace Advisory, Filipinos’ perspective about remote work set-ups drastically changed during the pandemic. It may have even come as a surprise that teams can remain productive and connected in spite of the distance, leading to the evolution of work culture and processes. Still, the chief pointed out that nothing builds a more compelling culture than a team that experiences each member in real-time.
Surveys still show the inherent indecisiveness of both corporate entities and employees on the matter. As found on data from Glint, 87% of the employees that responded to the survey prefer to remain in the remote working system. Of that percentage, 31% are looking at a fully remote occupation, while 56% think of spending some days remotely working, and the rest working at the office. That said, only 13% are looking forward to working primarily in person.
We ought to consider a new approach that aims to achieve a balance between two opposing decisions. We introduce the Hybrid Work Model.
What is the Hybrid Work Model?
By definition, hybrid working is a type of flexible working where an employee splits their time between the workplace and working remotely. This may vary in arrangement, depending on the nature of the work being discussed. For example, some jobs juggle site work and paperwork, so these employees can be set to work on-site from Mondays to Wednesdays, then at home on Thursdays and Fridays. While this is an effective way to reduce exposure, a post-pandemic Colliers study also supports it with the fact that 8 out of 10 people would like to work at home for at least a day.
Why We Should Consider Hybrid Work
It is a system that allows you to manage your time better and work when you’re most productive.
It promotes an improved work schedule and better work-life balance.
Employees can cut costs on living and commuting expenses.
Employees have reduced exposure to diseases and illnesses.
Companies can find talent from various communities all over the country.
The Hybrid work setup may seem like a novel and challenging concept, but it is certainly achievable with the right office design and environment. If you’re looking to renovate your office in preparation for this work model, let us know. We can help you out.
Check out our website for more services: www.jcvassociates.ph
Together, we can start Building Better Businesses.
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Sources:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardmcgahey/2021/12/19/will-omicron-move-more-work-from-offices-to-homes/?
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/03/business/omicron-return-to-office.html
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/hybrid-working