Most employees prefer a hybrid work schedule, which is why 74% of companies either use or plan to implement a hybrid schedule. Hybrid work combines the best of both worlds—you can enjoy the flexibility of remote work and still get to socialize with your coworkers.
[Read more: Want to Recruit Better Workers? Time to Get Flexible]
How to choose the right hybrid schedule for your team
If you’re considering a hybrid workweek, here are six models you can try.
3:2 model
One of the most common setups is a 3:2 model where employees come into the office three days a week and work remotely two days a week. You could also flip this schedule and have employees work from home three days a week and come into the office for two days.
The benefit of this model is that all of your employees will be in the office on the same days. This makes it easier to schedule meetings and allows teams to coordinate.
Approximately 55% of employees want to work from home at least three days a week, so your employees may prefer this arrangement. But even though employees will be spending less time in the office, you won’t be able to downsize your office space, which can get expensive.
Remote-first model
With a remote-first hybrid model, your employees will spend most of their time working remotely. They can come into the office but won’t be expected to do so regularly, and hiring decisions won’t be based on where someone is located.
The biggest benefit of this model is that it will allow you to significantly reduce your office space. In addition, this working arrangement will attract many potential job candidates, allowing you to recruit top talent to your organization.
But you’ll have to invest in technology to enable employees to work from home, and some employees may feel disconnected from the company if they aren’t regularly coming into the office. This could negatively impact teams that need to collaborate on projects.
[Read more: 7 Tips for Managing Part-Time Employee Schedules]
Remote schedule based on position
You can also schedule employees for remote or in-office work based on their positions. Some employees need to be in the office more often due to their job requirements, while others can do most of their work at home.
This hybrid work strategy ensures that essential personnel are available when you need them. A challenge with this strategy is to create a fair in-person work requirement among different positions. If one person gets to stay home every Thursday while everyone else remains at the office, some of your employees may feel the policy is unfair or could accuse you of bias.
A staggered schedule allows your employees to split their days between working on-site and working remotely.
Office-first model
An office-first model means employees spend most of their time at the office and occasionally get to work from home. This schedule is a good option for companies that need their workers in the office most of the time but want to let them work from home occasionally.
An office-first approach can improve workplace collaboration and help maintain a positive company culture. However, some employees may feel burnt out and resent being unable to work remotely.
[Read more: Productive Holidays: How to Keep Your Company Going During Employee Time Off]
Staggered schedule
A staggered schedule allows your employees to split their days between working on-site and remotely. For example, employees could work from home in the mornings and come into the office in the afternoons, or vice versa.
The benefit of this arrangement is that employees can work from home when they need to do more focused work. But then they can come into the office for meetings and work that requires them to collaborate with their team. However, you’ll need to set clear boundaries to make this arrangement work.
Bottom-up model
In this model, you’ll set a goal for how often employees will come into the office and let each team decide which days they’ll come in. For example, if everyone needs to come into the office two days per week, each team will pick the days that work best for them.
This schedule lets teams work together to figure out the plan that works best for them. The downside is that it may take a lot of work to coordinate meetings for cross-functional teams.
Tools to manage hybrid work schedules effectively
The right tools make it easier to manage a hybrid workforce. Here are the top picks to consider:
- Project management: Project management software, like Asana or Basecamp, allows remote teams to stay on track with projects. You can assign tasks to different team members so everyone knows what they’re responsible for and track milestones.
- Messaging software: Messaging software allows teams to connect virtually, either by chatting on a platform like Slack or through video conferencing software like Zoom. In addition to improving productivity, these apps can also help your team feel more connected.
- Document sharing: Document-sharing tools, like Google Drive, give your team a way to store, access, and share files. Teams can also collaborate within the document, tag each other in comments, and track any changes made.
- Employee engagement: It’s hard to check in with a remote workforce and ensure your employees are happy and engaged, which is why employee engagement software is helpful. Tools like CultureAmp give you a way to measure and track the employee experience.
Legal considerations when implementing hybrid work
There are several legal issues to consider when implementing a hybrid workforce. One of the biggest things to consider is how your company will stay compliant with tax laws. If you have employees working in different states, you’ll need to withhold taxes based on where each employee works, not where the company is headquartered.
And certain cities may have business license requirements for companies with remote employees working in that city. For example, any businesses with employees working from home in San Francisco must obtain a Business Registration Certificate.
Clearly define the expectations around remote work with your employees, outlining the hours, equipment provided, and how the team will communicate. If you have employees working from home and in-office, ensure both groups are treated fairly when it comes to promotion opportunities.
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