The Problem With Hybrid Work Arrangements

Employers and employees have increasingly different expectations of what the future of the workplace will look like.

A New South Wales public health order requiring employees to work from home is being repealed this week, and companies are struggling to figure out how to manage demand for more flexible work.

A report revealed that 63% of employees want a hybrid work arrangement moving forward, but employers claim this model would only be available to 40% of staffers.

Overall, it is evident that there are varying expectations between employees and employers, and this could create a rift in the future. 

While employers believe one-third of employees who can work remotely will come back into the office full-time. However, only 15% of workers want this to happen.

“I think that will create tension. The tension is going to come in how organisations are able to both attract and retain talent,” said Chris Mattey, Boston Consulting Group managing director and partner. “If you have an organisation that is demanding people come in five days a week and employees want some degree of flexibility, they are going to start selecting organisations that are going to offer that.”

One of the problems with a hybrid workplace is that research has indicated it is difficult to treat employees equally when some are working at home and others are in the office. 

“While the introduction of new technologies supported resilience in COVID, there is a recognition that these tools are not unambiguously positive and can have some negative effects on productivity and wellbeing,” a report from AlphaBeta revealed.