Model 1: Office First

What is Office First?

The worker predominantly works in the office (or on site) but occasionally works remotely. 

Office First is the most common hybrid work model in Australia (accounting for 35.3% of survey respondents.) But it is also the least flexible and workers self-report lower job performance than workers in other models.

Focus on:

Job tasks – Where is the best place to conduct specific tasks: at home or in the office?

Work–life boundaries – How can you support a variety of work–life dynamics?

Worker autonomy – How can you give workers more control over when and where they do their work?

Pros and cons of Office First

The Office First model is great for:

• Visibility with managers – It enhances worker visibility because they are more often physically present in the workplace. 
• Relationship building – It helps build relationships at work, which can support workers’ career development and contribute to mental health. 
• Career development – It is suitable for people who need direct supervision, guidance or support (e.g. workers who are just beginning their careers). 

But, there are also some things to watch out for:

• Lower levels of worker satisfaction – There is a greater need to foster autonomy of workers so they have more control over how they complete their job tasks.
• Difficulties for workers to work undisturbed – The ability to engage in deep concentration work is hampered. So, if a large proportion of the work requires deep concentration and undisturbed work, consider if an Office First model is the best fit. A model allowing more remote work may be more suitable.
• Poor work–life boundaries – Workers report greater interference of work on their home life.

Suggested actions for workplaces adopting Office First

Action 1: Provide areas for deep concentration work or private conversations.

• Collaborate with workers to understand where tasks are best completed – e.g. in the office or remotely. 
• Adapt your office space to cater to the range of different tasks – e.g. provide quiet spaces for deep concentration work. 
• Understand and mitigate potential resistance to on-site work – e.g. highlight the efficiencies of working on site, such as good for meetings, building relationships and access to managers. 

Action 2: Support work–life boundaries.

• Establish policies and practices that help workers manage work–life boundaries – e.g. when and where meetings occur. 
• Evaluate services in place to support work–life dynamics – e.g. critically evaluate whether available tools or resources are working. 

Action 3: Create autonomy.

• Co-create with workers what autonomy looks like – e.g. how and when workers complete tasks.