Principle 1: Establish clear parameters for hybrid work

Setting clear, unambiguous parameters for hybrid work reduces uncertainty and creates clarity for workers. Find out how your organisation can set clear parameters for hybrid work.

Part of the Hybrid work module.

Why clear parameters are important for hybrid work

Workers need to know when and where they are expected to work, and how much flexibility they have to make those decisions.

Research explains why establishing guidelines around those parameters is the key to creating a suitable working environment for workers and managers.

Insight 1: Workers want a voice in designing hybrid work guidelines – Top management and workers may have different objectives. For example, top management may want workers on site to foster collaboration and working relationships. In contrast, workers want flexibility and more opportunities to work remotely, particularly following long periods of working from home.

Insight 2: More flexibility can mean more stress – Workers with the most flexibility and freedom in deciding where they work are the most satisfied, but they also reported the strongest increase in job stressors, especially poor role clarity.

Insight 3: Workers have different needs – Workers need to be involved in shaping hybrid work arrangements, so the arrangements are suitable. Organisations need to balance workers’ needs and the organisation’s needs. Organisations have a legal requirement to consult with workers because hybrid work can alter psychosocial risks.

Guidelines for establishing clear parameters

1. Evaluate any existing hybrid work arrangements to find out how they are working and if they are fair and equitable.

Many current hybrid work arrangements grew organically throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. So, it is important to know what arrangements are in place, whether they work and whether anything should change.

Being flexible and willing to change allows your organisation to enjoy a productive, successful hybrid work style. It also fosters a better dynamic for protecting mentally healthy work.

Here are some ways your organisation can evaluate existing arrangements:

Conduct organisation-wide pulse surveys, including collecting demographic and job level characteristics, to see if arrangements are equitable across the organisation.
Consult with managers about how their teams work in terms of location and flexibility.
Use existing engagement surveys to monitor satisfaction with current hybrid work arrangements and ask for suggestions on improvements.
Use existing annual reviews to get feedback about current hybrid work arrangements.
Encourage managers to share their experiences via webinars.
Make relevant guidelines available to everyone (e.g. via the intranet).

2. Consult workers to understand their tasks and responsibilities.

Your organisation’s hybrid work policy must balance the needs of individual workers and your organisation’s responsibilities. Organisational responsibilities may be clear, but workers’ needs may not be. Here are some ways your organisation can consult with workers to understand their needs:

Set up a working group with representatives from across the organisation to test your hybrid work policy.
Test the policy with a broad cross-section of workers to obtain unbiased insights.
Organise town halls to get input from a variety of workers.

Hybrid work models that lean heavily towards the needs of individuals or teams risk destabilising operations because inconsistencies create discontent. Consultation, collaboration, consistent communication and real transparency help set the right hybrid work policy for your organisation.

3. Develop a hybrid work policy.

A transparent hybrid work policy clarifies when workers are on site or remote, and how much flexibility workers and teams have.

The policy should include factors such as:

the number of days and/or types of activities the worker is recommended to be on site
the number of days and/or types of activities the worker can perform remotely
team or organisation anchor days, such as specific days of the week, or weeks of the month when the worker must be in a specific location
how much flexibility and decision latitude workers have around where and when they work.

In addition to these factors, the guideline must:

be clear, precise and consistent to avoid confusion, misinterpretation or worker discontent
use language that reflects your organisation’s branding
provide enough detail to engage and educate, but not too much that you lose audience interest
be achievable and realistic.

Different teams may use different hybrid work models. If so, it is important to encourage relationships across teams and keep communication lines open.

4. Provide guidelines to managers about their level of discretion.

Managers need decision making authority to develop hybrid work arrangements for their workers. And their level of discretion must be clearly communicated to all workers.

Enable managers to set rules for their team, supported by an organisation policy that provides direction on how to balance organisational needs against workers’ needs.

Here are some ways you can support managers:

Have an organisation policy that managers and workers can consult.
Discuss with managers how the policy translates at a team level.
Train managers on how to manage hybrid teams.

Why clear parameters are important for hybrid work

Guidelines for establishing clear parameters

Further reading