The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) marked the end of the COVID-19 Pandemic on May 11, 2023. Now that the emergency is over, I wonder will hybrid work end?
Hybrid work combines remote work with in-person work. It allows employees to work from home or other locations part of the time, while still having the opportunity to collaborate with team members and clients in-person when necessary. Many organizations and employees have found it to be a beneficial work model for work-life balance, productivity, and flexibility.
Benefits to Employers
For instance, hybrid work arrangements allow organizations to attract and retain talent from a wider geographic area. The benefits to employers is that their employees don’t necessarily need to be physically located near the office.
Companies also experience reduced office costs and improved employee retention. With less of an employee presence in the office, space and related costs, such as utilities and supplies are decreased. Employee amenities, like coffee and tea, paper products, cleaning supplies, and even housekeeping became savings to a company’s bottom line.
Benefits to Employees
The benefits to employees include improved work-life-balance, increased productivity, a reduction in weekly commute hours, and the choice to work from home, the office, or from anywhere. In her 30 essential hybrid work statistics for 2023, Abby McCain at ZIPPIA reported that 44% of U.S. employees prefer a hybrid work model, compared to 51% of employers. Further, 55% of employees want to work remotely at least three days a week.
Other studies, like the research done at Future Forum found that 81% of employees want flexibility in where they work and 93% want flexibility in when they work.
Hybrid work is even good for the environment. Reduced commuting and office space usage has a positive impact on the release of carbon emissions and lowers energy consumption.
It’s unlikely that hybrid work will end completely, but there are several reasons why it could.
Some possible reasons could include
- Organizational culture and leadership – If an organization has a culture that values in-person collaboration and communication, and leaders are not supportive of remote work, they may choose to end hybrid work arrangements.
- Lack of productivity or communication issues – If an organization finds that hybrid work is causing productivity or communication issues, they may choose to return to a fully in-person work model.
- Legal or regulatory requirements – In some cases, legal or regulatory requirements may make it difficult or impossible for organizations to offer hybrid work models.
- Economic factors – Economic factors, such as budget constraints or changes in market conditions, may make it difficult for organizations to offer hybrid work.
- Employee preferences – While many employees have expressed a desire for flexible work, there are some who may prefer a fully in-person work model for various reasons. If a significant number of employees prefer in-person work, an organization may choose to bring hybrid work to an end.
It’s worth noting that many of these scenarios are unlikely to result in a complete end to hybrid work.
While some organizations may choose to return to pre-pandemic work models, many are likely to continue with some form of hybrid work. The pandemic accelerated the adoption of remote work and highlighted its benefits. Now employees expect to have some degree of flexibility in their work arrangements.
Show your pride in being a Hybrid Boomer – visit my online store.
If you found this information helpful, click the button below to leave a donation to help support the site. I appreciate your visit!
Oh, and don’t forget to bookmark this site to come back often!
View more Hybrid Boomer Blogs
Disclaimer: A small fee is earned from the affiliated links featured on this site
