Hybrid work combines work-from-home with in-office work and can take many forms depending on the company’s needs. It gives employees greater flexibility, allowing them to work where they are the most comfortable. Some organizations have fixed hybrid schedules that require a certain amount of days in the office, while others are extremely flexible, giving employees the choice of whether they want to work from home or the office every day.
Hybrid work and wellness are heavily tied together. The conversation surrounding mental health at work was triggered by the pandemic. But while concern about COVID-19 has subsided, the importance of wellness at work has not. While working hybrid, there are many facets of wellness, some of which can sometimes contradict. While hybrid improves work-life balance by giving employees more flexibility and saving them from spending unnecessary time commuting, it can also contribute to feelings of loneliness. Therefore, we must understand how hybrid improves wellness and the challenges it presents, and how we can navigate them to create the most people-centric, productive offices.
II. The benefits of hybrid work for wellness
One of the greatest benefits of hybrid work is that it improves employee wellness in a number of ways, from promoting work-life balance to providing autonomy.
A. Flexibility in scheduling
Employees benefit from flexible scheduling by choosing the time and place that gives them control over the hours and location of their work. For example, flexible scheduling allows employees to work from home, start and finish work at different times than their colleagues, or take time off as needed. This can impact overall well-being as it plays a role in improving work-life balance.
B. Reduced commute time
With flexible schedules, most employees do not have to visit the office daily. Therefore, they reduce the amount of time spent commuting. Sitting in traffic or crowded public transport at rush hour can be draining, but it also requires time and money.
C. Increased autonomy
Providing your team members with greater autonomy contributes to their wellness by giving them a sense of agency and empowerment. Autonomy plays a key role in employee satisfaction at work. When trust is established, not only does it boost creativity, but it also helps develop positive personal relationships between colleagues. And studies have shown that those with strong personal bonds at work, such as having a work friend, are less lonely and happier at their job.
D. Improved work-life balance
Hybrid work directly improves work-life balance by allowing individuals to prioritize other aspects of their lives without neglecting work. First, it improves family and personal life by providing additional time to spend with family and friends outside of work. For working parents, hybrid models can be extremely beneficial, allowing them time to pick up and drop off their children from school or care for their young children during the day. Second, flexibility grants extra time for things like exercising or making healthy meals.
Additionally, improved work-life balance means less work-related stress on a daily basis. While our jobs can be demanding no matter where we perform them, companies focused on fostering a balance between work and life have happier employees.
III. The challenges of hybrid work for wellness
As with any new model, some challenges accompany hybrid work, as it can be isolating and, if managed improperly, may lead to burnout.
A. Isolation and disconnection from colleagues
Hybrid work tends to be isolating as employees work partly at home, away from colleagues. For hybrid-first organizations, most work is done out of the office, which can spark feelings of loneliness. Forming real, meaningful connections with colleagues can be difficult without in-person communication. While video calls help mimic in-person interaction, they only occur when meetings are scheduled, or a task must be completed. So, not only are people interacting with each other less than they were when sitting across from each other at the office, but they also miss out on casual, non-work-related conversations.
B. Difficulty setting boundaries between work and personal time
When work and life overlap, as they often do when working from home, it becomes difficult to set clear boundaries around work and personal time. You might roll out of bed, walk three steps to your desk, hop on your laptop for the day, and then go to bed in the same room. Or, you have kids running around the house while you are trying to take meetings. How can you be available to your children while also working? It can become a challenge.
C. Difficulty unplugging from work
When work is accessible from your phone or laptop, how do you know when actually to stop working? Without boundaries, you might answer work emails at 7:00 pm instead of logging off when the workday ends. If someone is especially busy, they might work overtime to complete their tasks or constantly check emails and messages when they should be off work.
D. Burnout and fatigue
Hybrid workers are susceptible to burnout and fatigue because of the abovementioned challenge. Without the ability to set clear boundaries, trying to give 100% at work and at home can cause stress. And workers who find it difficult to unplug will consistently work more hours than they need to, leading to burnout and fatigue.
IV. Strategies for maintaining wellness in a hybrid work environment
In order to overcome some of the challenges associated with hybrid work, as mentioned above, and promote employee wellness, let’s discuss a few strategies that your company can implement to create a more positive work environment.
A. Setting boundaries and creating a dedicated workspace
When working from home, it is important for employees to create a dedicated workspace where they can not only focus on their tasks but also create a healthy separation between their work and personal life. If space allows, a home office that is not a bedroom allows you to get in the zone. It allows your brain to associate this dedicated space with work, similar to how we often associate the bedroom with sleep and rest.
B. Prioritizing self-care and self-compassion
Since there is a tendency towards burnout in hybrid and remote settings, being compassionate to yourself and prioritizing self-care is essential. From a company perspective, it is important to communicate to remote employees expectations about how long they should be working and also provide them with additional opportunities for wellness, like a wellness budget to spend on physical and mental health. From an employee perspective, knowing when to stop working and having self-compassion when goals are not achieved as planned is important.
C. Staying connected with colleagues through virtual communication
In order to combat feelings of isolation and loneliness while working from home, maintain communication and connections with colleagues. There are many platforms to connect with co-workers, such as Slack and Zoom.
But, even more important is blocking time to get to know colleagues meaningfully and personally. For example, the Donut extension on Slack connects two colleagues each week to plan a quick coffee chat to talk about non-work related things and learn more about each other. Realizing that these interactions are just as important as work meetings is key to developing a positive company culture and boosting wellness.
D. Incorporating physical activity and movement breaks into the workday
One of the best ways to ease stress at work and get motivation flowing again is by moving your body. Walking straight from your bed to your desk can be tempting when working from home. Your longest walk by the end of the workday is your trip to the fridge for a snack. Does this sound familiar?
Getting endorphins pumping, even if that simply means going out for a walk to get fresh air, can help reset you in the middle of the day while also benefiting your physical and mental health.
V. Conclusion
Hybrid work has proven to be one of the most productive work models and benefits employee wellness in several ways. It greatly improves work-life balance and employee satisfaction by providing autonomy through flexible scheduling. By saving the time and energy spent commuting daily, hybrid workers have time to prioritize their personal and professional lives. Unfortunately, no new models come without obstacles. But, with the strategies, we have presented and using the right tool to implement the hybrid work model, like deskbird, the challenges of the flexible office can easily be overcome.