In a highly digitized world, work has gone beyond waking up every working day to go to a particular building. In other words, it doesn’t matter if you are at home, in an aircraft, or an organized workspace. Your workstation is only as important as your productivity.
A hybrid work arrangement is a flexible work model, which from research, has significantly improved workers’ productivity levels in different organizations as well as enhanced their well-being.
For one, the hybrid work model allows workers to work from anywhere and save costs, which impacts their financial well-being. There are yet other tangible benefits it brings to the table. In this article, we’ll examine how hybrid work is changing employees’ lives for good, enhancing their well-being and their productivity as well.
What is Hybrid Work?
Hybrid work is a flexible working pattern that supports a blend of in-office, remote, and partly from another workspace. The hybrid work model allows workers to choose wherever and however they are most effective. Teammates can move between locations and employ whatever devices and innovations they need to get the job done.
For the record, a hybrid work arrangement does not affect employees’ pay. Like the traditional in-office model, the organization effectively tracks employees’ working hours and wages. At the end of the month or pay period, the organization issues a payment certificate along with the payslip to give employees a detailed record of their hours and wages.
Hybrid Work Enhancing Workers’ Wellbeing and Productivity
Hybrid work is a worker-first approach to managing your staff which results in increased productivity and addresses the major challenges of remot e work. These significant challenges include isolation and lack of interaction in the work community and among co-workers.
The hybrid work model aims to enhance the productivity of workers in and out of the office space. Below are the biggest benefits of this new work pattern to workers.
Productivity
A recent study showed that 58% of employees in the United States confirmed that their flexible working structure had increased their productivity. This study addresses the concern of those who opined that removing in-person meetings and office activities will reduce workers’ productivity. However, from the look of things, people are more likely to do extra and employ modern technologies to get their job done.
Pre-pandemic, 23% of employees worked remotely in most developed countries. The pandemic saw a hike in remote workers by up to 64%. However, with the pandemic restrictions to avoid the spread, the hike in remote workers was expected. Employers and employees had no choice but to adopt digitization in their jobs.
Two years after the pandemic, the industry experienced a significant drop in the rate of remote and hybrid workers to 61%. This, however, is a notable increase compared to the pre-pandemic. As the industry recovers, more organizations and companies are employing hybrid workers to facilitate productivity. With hybrid working, the industry has also experienced a significant drop in employees quitting their jobs.
Although hybrid working has increased the chances of employees being unable to separate their workspace from their personal lives. 54% of employees claimed that diversity in the traditional workplace improved their productivity. And they also always go back to their personal lives after work hours.
However, some organizations now allow workers to engage in off-work activities like vacations and physical exercises. This flexibility allows their employees to sustain productivity and a healthy work-life balance.
Mental and Emotional Well-being
According to the U.S census bureau, it takes up to 27.6 minutes for an American employee to get to work. And the employee can stay up to 10 to 12 hours in office activities. These can cause emotional and mental burnout. Now, this is where Hybrid working comes in. Hybrid working means that employees can reduce their commute hours and have the privilege of manipulating their work schedules.
The flexibility gives employees more time to focus on their mental and emotional health. Survey shows that 40% of hybrid workers claim that improved mental health is one of the primary benefits of hybrid working. Employers carry out mental health campaigns and engage the services of mental health and fitness professionals to reach out to their employees.
Hybrid working means employers might not always be around to notice mental and emotional stress from their staff. So employers employ the services of these professionals to encourage healthy behaviors among their staff and inform them of benefits available to them.
Physical and Social QWellbeing
Whether remote or in the office, physical interactions are vital in our working life, and hybrid work offers both opportunities for the employee. Hybrid work brings the team together for meetings and carries out specific projects and assignments. Meeting and interacting with people of diverse cultures and ideas to achieve a common goal makes the workplace a positive environment for teamwork.
Hybrid work allows teammates to carry out the project without commuting daily to the workplace to strategize. Since teammates are not always in the office, they employ digitized technologies to accomplish the assigned project. This collaboration enhances workers’ productivity and boosts colleagues’ relationships.
Aside from that, hybrid work gives employees the leverage to socialize with their environment. A study from the United States bureau of labor shows that an average worker works for a minimum of 4.6 years in a company or organization. With an average of ten working hours, the employee cannot socialize with people. And this unavailable opportunity to interact with people outside the working environment could lead to depression.
Financial Wellbeing
A recent study shows that companies and organizations can save up to 50% on operational and staff costs if they adopt a hybrid work model. Employers can save up to $10,000 per employee when their employees work from home or elsewhere. By reducing its operating expenses and utilizing the hybrid work model, the business can increase expenses for staff rent and dictionaries.
The savings accrued can be allotted to hiring office talent or expanding operations to generate more revenues. The savings are not only for employers but employees too. Employees commute to and from the office, and a recent study shows that 46% of employees say their spending decreased since working from home.
Employees’ expenses on commuting via subway or metro were reduced by 40%. And up to $1000 per month if they commute via car. When the employee checks the paystub, approximately $1000 goes for taxes, insurance, and rent costs. 50% of hybrid workers say that working at their pace and flexibility has saved expenses for fuel packing for commuting.
As a result, most employees are happier and wealthier and invest more time in their productivity for the company.
Conclusion
As businesses continue to look for ways to promote workers’ productivity levels, hybrid work remains an attractive option. While remote working has gained roots in today’s working system, the hybrid work model comes as an advanced version to promote workers’ and the company’s productivity.
However, to make the most of this work arrangement, organizations must work at building an inclusive culture, and create a good environment to explore its possibilities.
