Return to Work Strategies for Employers in 2023

Key Highlights:

• Agree office and remote expectations, prepare employees and review the arrangement. Start with the example plan.
• Employers should "LEARN, GRAB, and ADAPT" to changing work environments. 

Hybrid Work in 2023

The pandemic has caused enormous changes in the way we work, and the concept of a hybrid workplace is now more essential than ever. In this guide, a hybrid workplace combines office and remote work through an arrangement based on role requirements and team needs. As organizations strive to return to in-person work, it's critical to have strong return-to-work policies in place.

Employers must be active and proactive to enable a smooth transition back to work, regardless of whether their employees return to the office or continue to work remotely. There are some perspectives that employers will examine in bringing "change" while retaining "work productivity" in the methods that will be adopted in the next months.

According to  2021, HBR Research on Hybrid Work describes four hybrid work models to assist organizations, particularly foreign ones, in deciding whether to be virtual or office-centric. The image below is captured from HBR Research 

Every model is founded on two variables. 

1. The primary duties performed by each team are more relational (variable and incorporating spontaneous knowledge sharing, creativity, and cooperation) or transactional (based on set routines and procedures)? 
2. Does the organization have employees in several nations or only a few?

The image above has specified task context and internationalization for businesses, organizations, and corporations to apply their work model and see how their employees respond to the “changes”. Use this 2021 HBR framework as a historical decision aid, assessing its fit against your organization's tasks and workforce.

Large-Hubs Organizations: This is an Office-based model. It's suitable for circumstances in which people must collaborate on relational, knowledge-based, or creative initiatives. While teams will be required to often be present in significant regional hubs, some remote work is permitted.

Hubs and Satellites: The office is important here as well, but unlike the previous technique, which relied on main hubs, this approach connects them with smaller satellite offices around the world to meet the needs of an even more global workforce.

Global- Virtual: This model is the most remote-enabled. Employees collaborate on a global scale, but they usually meet in person at least once a year.

Distributed: Work can be done remotely in this case, but the workforce may remain localized to a single country or region due to factors such as talent availability or cost. 

As appealing as it may appear to go all in on virtual, it is vital to weigh the pros and cons of both sides. Building an international workforce, for instance, firms now have a more diverse pool of talent that also raises administrative obligations and requires them to comply with varied employment and tax regulations. Businesses and their employers must select the model that best meets their needs and preferences as well as those of their employees. 

Return to Work Strategies 

Employers planning hybrid or remote work can agree with employees which tasks need shared office time, such as collaboration across teams.

Example return-to-office plan

This illustrative plan draws on Acas guidance; adapt it to your team.

1. Agree expectations. Identify tasks suited to shared office time. Agree location and availability expectations for each role or team, considering employer policy.
2. Name an owner. Name the manager responsible for the arrangement and a contact for employees. Choose an announcement channel and agree how and when to share updates.
3. Prepare and listen. Check equipment, system and workplace access, and support before starting. Offer a private conversation with the named contact for concerns.
4. Review and decide. Set and record a review date with the team. At that review, the owner uses the agreed measures and feedback below to decide whether to keep, adjust or pause the arrangement.

For that review, agree work-quality and delivery measures with employees and their representatives, and gather employee feedback. Acas guidance gives assessing work quality rather than time at a desk as an example; do not treat office attendance alone as proof of productivity.

Consider the practical options below when shaping your team's arrangement.

Flexible Work Schedule 

A flexible work schedule that allows for both in-person and remote work is vital in a hybrid workplace. Employers can establish a hybrid schedule that allows workers to work from home a few days a week and come into the office the rest of the time. Employers may agree customized schedules with employees, taking preferences, role requirements, team needs and employer policy into account.

Communication

In a hybrid workplace, effective communication is crucial. Following Acas guidance, agree the purpose, channel and timing of contact, including how policy or schedule changes will be shared. Employers should also foster an open communication culture in which employees feel comfortable expressing their issues or preferences for working in-person or remotely.

Develop a Safe Work Environment or Work Arrangement 

In a hybrid workplace, employers must put their employees' health and safety first. Review applicable workplace and local guidance, and explain the precautions that apply. CDC guidance recommends handwashing, cleaning commonly touched surfaces and cleaner air, and staying home and away from others when sick with a respiratory illness. Support employees in doing so; consider additional precautions such as masks or distancing where appropriate. Give employees the tools and resources they need to work remotely.

Effect of the Pandemic on the Strategies 

The pandemic prompted employers to rethink in-person work. Employers planning an office return can offer company events or optional after-work gatherings for social connection, alongside clear expectations for shared work.

Consider work-life balance when planning the arrangement. The tactics below offer ways to support employees and build connections.

Prioritizing Success

Prioritizing Employees and the team-building exercises that the organization considers providing for its staff to IMPROVE productivity and outcomes are the foundation of success. This is the basics is to bring meetings in person or hybrid leaving it a choice so employees can meet. Which does create IMPACT on your coworkers. Here are a few ways to make the word “success” have different meanings in your organization. To stand out more is to bring activities to life.

Increasing Connectivity

The interconnection in your organization is focused on "Creating Value and Mission" to preserve and strengthen those ties. Every employer in every company or organization is created uniquely and has their distinct way of conceptualizing the train that serves as their support while they are in work mode.

Employers can use these success and connection-building ideas to support employees:

Prioritizing Success 

• Clear and Concise Communication 
• Flexibility 
• Training and Upskilling 
• Employee Well Being 
• Evaluation and Adaptation 
• Mentoring and Leadership Development 
• Technology and Tools 
• Recognizing their Achievement 

Increasing Connectivity 

• Clear and Concise Communication 
• Flexibility 
• Team Building Activities 
• Employee Feedback Involvement 
• Technology and Tools 

As you see above there are some similarities to supporting and balancing success and connection-building at work. Employers can use these ideas to support employees in their work environment.

Key Learnings:

Here are more resources with more strategies for RTO:

1. Have Ultimate Return to Office Kit: This creates a HUGE impression on employers and employees on how the company treats it as their own.
2. Sending a Return to Office letter to all organization employers: The letter informs employees about returning to the office. Litespace has even included its template to provide support to those who are looking into a hybrid work model. 
3. Employers looking into Return to Work Solutions for their organization to learn more in-depth about Hybrid Work Model.