The Covid pandemic underpinned the biggest shift towards remote working ever seen, but with the virus lingering on, it’s not yet clear quite what form work might take in the medium-term.  This relative uncertainty has not stopped many commentators from suggesting that the future will be a hybrid of remote work and in-person work.

Research from Lancaster University suggests that outdated views of just what the workplace is might curtail such a transformation.  The work, which was conducted in partnership with the Work Foundation, suggests that a more traditional view of the workplace still tends to dominate in many organizations.

The results emerged from a survey of around 2,000 managers from across the UK, with women, disabled workers, parents, and carers often presented with significant challenges when working remotely due to the isolation that these outdated perspectives enforce upon them.

“Our survey results suggest that the attitudes surrounding remote or flexible working may be stuck in the pre-pandemic world, rather than really grasping the opportunities a brand-new hybrid working model could present, which is cause for alarm,” the researchers say.

“There is a real risk that ‘office culture’ is so ingrained that even organizations that pursue flexible or hybrid arrangements could end up introducing inequalities between those who primarily work on-site and those who work remotely. Doing so would jeopardize the opportunities that hybrid working could bring to so many—particularly parents, carers and disabled workers—who have benefited from increased flexibility since 2020.”

Making hybrid work

The authors call on the government to do more to promote flexible working practices, while also requiring large organizations to do more to make their flexible work policies and practices transparent.  They also urge employers to develop skills within their managerial ranks to better adapt to a hybrid workplace, with a particular focus on equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Indeed, organizations could consider making flexible working the default position for employees, with this flexibility made clear during the recruitment process.

The development of the hybrid workplace will be best achieved by consulting with staff to co-create the best policies.  This helps managers to truly understand the needs of their workforce and the pressures they’re dealing with inside and outside of work.

The authors suggest that this is likely to involve a degree of experimentation to uncover what works for employers and employees alike.  If an open dialog can be maintained, however, this process is likely to be that much more effective.

Organizations should also consider making the “right to disconnect” an explicit part of their policy to help people develop a better work-life balance, even if working remotely.  Such approaches should ideally be adopted by managers and leaders to help role model the kind of culture and behaviors expected from the workforce.  This is especially so if the managers are men, as adoption of flexible working is historically lower among men than women, and it’s important that it’s not something that is seen as a women’s prerogative.

These are all things that have held flexible working back in the past, and if we are to adopt a more hybrid workplace in the post-pandemic era then they’re challenges that will need to be adequately addressed.  The paper provides a timely reminder of the need to do just that.