Hybrid Working: What Is it and Why Are Employees Demanding it?
Prior to March 2020, we had two major types of companies: office-first and remote-first. The first category expected employees to work from the office for most of the time, while the second type expected them to work anywhere else for most of the time. Today, things aren’t black and white anymore and concepts like hybrid working seem to be here to stay.
If you’re a regular on the Amos Beech blog, you know that we’ve already covered agile working or flexible working in the past. Back then, these concepts seemed a bit trendy, if not revolutionary per se. While the number of companies that allowed their employees to work away from the office for at least some time was increasing, no one could have foreseen the hyper-growth in remote working that the pandemic spurred.
After more than a year since the pandemic sent us all working from home, it seems that there is no consensus about the best alternative – remote or non-remote. So we have something that makes everyone happy: hybrid working.
Let’s discover what this (relatively) new kid on the block is and what to expect from it.
But first, a primer on how the past year has influenced our views on working outside of the office.
Back to the Office: Yay or Nay?
In a recent survey, more than 57% of respondents stated that they would like to continue to work from home when the pandemic is over. It looks like their wish may be granted: before the crisis, a mere 15% of employers said that more than half their workforce worked from home regularly. After the crisis, 40% of employers said they expect more than half their workforce to work regularly from home.
Companies pivoted to the new working conditions incredibly fast: 87% of employees report that their companies have adapted to hybrid working. The same report has uncovered more interesting facts:
65% of employees say that their employers have provided them with everything they need to work from home.
More than half of the surveyed employees say that they have been able to use their lunch break for personal reasons and that they have an improvement in their happiness levels since working from home.
However, 30% of employees feel that they are working more hours since transitioning to working from home, while 53% of them feel pressured to be available at all times.
Consequently, more than a third of the employees surveyed opted for mental health and resilience resources when they had to choose between various training and learning opportunities.
Unsurprisingly, socialising is what most respondents (65%) miss about working in an office.
There is obviously no one-size-fits-all here. And you can easily depict that from the most popular media titles on this topic:
But on the other hand you’ve got:
What do you do when there’s no consensus one way or the other?
You go hybrid, of course.
What Is Hybrid Working?
Hybrid working is a model that offers employees flexibility and where and when they work. It enables them to work from the office, from home, or from any location – even locations outside of the city or the country where the employer’s offices are.
There are not set parametres for hybrid working. Here are some options on how to adapt this working style to your needs:
Work from the office full-time in some days and remotely in others.
Have some departments come in to the office every day, while others work 100% remotely.
All employees can work from the office for part of the week and remotely for the other part. You can rotate which departments work remotely Mondays through Wednesdays, for instance, or you can call them all in at the same time.
Have all your employees work remotely, save for one day a week or a month when they come into the office for an all-hands meeting.
Make it entirely the employees’ choice. You can still have an office where people can choose to come in whenever they want to. Solutions like iOt Space can help them find free desks or conference room, schedule activities, and make the transition easier altogether.
In hybrid working, the world is your oyster. You can choose any of the options above or create your own variation by combining two or more.
One of the main selling points of hybrid working refers to the fact that it can be future-proof. The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that a lot of companies in a lot of industries can survive and even thrive with a 100% remote workforce, even when the transition to remote working was done hastily and with little time for preparations.
People adapted, pivoted, managed. Now that we’ve had more than a year to perfect our systems and our routines, things can get even better.
Plus, with the world gradually re-opening, workers aren’t confined within the same four walls of their home. They can work from their favorite café, from a nearby park, or, why not, from an island in the Mediterranean.
If everything can be set just as you want it to, what’s stopping some companies from embracing hybrid working without reserves? And why isn’t everyone in the workforce flocking to this model?
Let’s find out!
One of the latest studies:
Pros and Cons of Hybrid Working
These are some of the things that hybrid working can undoubtedly bring to the table:
No more time and money wasted on commuting: this is a big plus! The average worker in the UK used to spend 59 minutes on commuting alone, not to mention the time it takes to get ready to leave and then to decompress once you get home. This time can be spent with your family, on your hobbies, or, why not, on getting up later and then being more productive throughout the day because you got to sleep in.
Better for the environment: during the lockdowns, the carbon emissions dropped so much that we almost met the conditions of the Paris agreement. If fewer people would rush to work every day at the same time, we could make a dent in the environmental disaster that most scientists are warning us about.
Less money spent on office lunches: it’s undoubtedly more affordable to eat at home. Plus, you have access to healthier options and, given the point above, more time to go shopping for those healthier alternatives.
Better office spaces: at Amos Beech, we’ve been working on a lot of fit out and refurbishment projects in the past year. We’ve seen Scottish companies pivot from crammed office spaces with rows of impersonal desks to more homely designs, with collaborative spaces, lounge chairs, outdoor spaces, and more indoor plants. All in all, the employees get a more homely feeling when they are in office and they get to be more productive in a space that’s more “humanized”.
Less money spent on corporate real estate: when you make the shift to hybrid working, you don’t need to cram all your workforce in the same space at the same time every day. So you can rent a smaller space and use the rest of your rent on refurbishing, moving to a better office building, or simply investing in your company’s growth.
Less employee turnover: with more than half of the workforce demanding hybrid working, you can be sure that your employees will switch companies if you don’t offer them this option. 41% of employees are ready to take this step when not offered hybrid working options. If, on the other hand, you do offer it, they will stay loyal to you.
Reduce exposure to illness: we all expect the pandemic to pass…eventually. But this doesn’t mean that office spaces can’t expose you to other airborne viruses. Remember the classic flu? It might be back with a vengeance!
Hire talent from across the globe…or, at least, the country. If physical presence in the office is no longer a pre-requisite, you’ll have access to a much larger talent pool.
What’s stopping employees and employers from fully embracing hybrid working then? Well, a few things:
Less socialising: Aristotle said man is a zoon politikon – a social animal. We need social interaction to thrive and to be productive. The occasional water cooler meeting of a co-worker typically provides us with unexpected creative bursts that can last throughout the day. When we no longer have that, we miss it so much that our mental health is impacted. Granted, if we are able to leave our home, we could interact with other workers we meet in cafes, but it could still take some adjustment.
Management challenges: it’s hard for managers to keep their teams motivated. Due to our ‘social animal’ quality, an in-person praise from a manager always weighs more than the same praise delivered via email. Another hurdle for managers is building effective teams when their members have yet to meet in person.
Discrimination: within certain companies, some departments (the creative ones, usually) can easily work remotely, since all they need is a laptop. But what happens to the departments that need constant access to bulky hardware and that need that hardware to be shared between team members? QA teams are good example here. They could feel discriminated against, which prompts most managers to forego adopting hybrid work altogether.
Motivation and productivity are harder to come by: the moment you step into the office, your mind knows that you are there to work. That’s what everyone does around you. Of course, there are countless distractions and ways to procrastinate in a classic office, too. But there aren’t nearly as many as you can find at home. Netflix and chill instead of Zoom and Excel? Who could say no to that? Very few people! However, even self-discipline and motivation can be learned, so there is still hope there.
Flexible Working, Agile Working, Hybrid Working – What’s the Difference?
Tired of all the new working styles popping up every year? So are we! It’s sometimes hard to keep track. But, if we’re being honest, the workplace has been changing forever. It’s just easier to notice now.
While flexible working, agile working, and hybrid working have a lot of things in common, it’s the subtle differences that matter.
Flexible working is the oldest of these terms. It usually refers to when an employee is supposed to work. Flexible working arrangements are discussed with the employer beforehand and can refer to part time working, working in shifts, not starting the work day at the usual hour to accommodate students or other social categories, and so on.
Initially, this term was coined for the “traditional” working style, where everyone came to the office. Now, it can be used as complementary to either agile or hybrid working and it can refer to working from home too.
Agile working is a style that borrows from the Agile methodology typically used in project management to offer a new way of working that focuses on deliverables rather than time spent on a certain task or in the office.
Agile working offers employees the possibility to choose where they work from and when they do it, with little or no constraints, as long as the job gets done. Usually, companies that implement agile working will also rely on technology to make the transition seamless. Hot desking (where not every employee has an assigned desk because they aren’t always in the office) is a complementary trend to agile working and one that can be implemented easily with the right technology.
Hybrid working is the lovechild of the two styles above and one of the few good things to come out of the pandemic. There are no set rules in hybrid working and no methodologies you have to adhere to. As something born out of the initial chaos of the pandemic, hybrid working is 100% flexible and adaptable to the needs of every company.
As outlined above, you can choose how you mix and match the countless options for remote and in-office work and how you couple them with flexible hours.
Wrapping Things Up
The beauty of hybrid work is that it appeals to the generations that make up most of the workforce now and in the future: Millennials and Generation Z. Both of them avoid routine as much as possible and cherish freedom above anything else.
Ready to pivot to hybrid working? We can help you create the ideal space for a hybrid working approach. Check out our office fit out service and reach out to our experts!
Lease or Finance Options for your Office Fit Out or Refurbishment project
Is the Cost of Office Fit Out or Refurbishment too High to Pay Upfront in Full?
Undertaking a complete refurbishment or fit out of your office can be quite costly. However, it is also necessary. The right office furniture, style, design and “feel” of the office space altogether can transform your business for the better.
In other words, postponing or cancelling the refurbishment completely is not the best option for your business.
But what are you to do when budgets are tight and your company has cash flow issues?
At Amos Beech we love offering complete solutions to our clients. This is why we we work with registered lease providers who will be able to offer advice and flexible financing solutions. For an entire office fit-out, the cost can be spread over a 2 - 6 years term:
If you want an estimated guess on your project value, check our cost calculator.
Meet the Perfect Financial Solution for Your Office Fit Out or Refurbishment
When budgets are tight, but the project has to be completed, you typically have three options:
Bootstrap and pay everything upfront
Get a loan from a bank
Lease the project
Paying cash upfront is ideal if the payment won’t leave your company vulnerable. Plus, keep in mind that the total cost of the refurbishment or office fit out might exceed, the annual investment allowance (AIA) that went up from £200,000 to £1,000.000 in January 2019 and extended on April 1st 2023. Thus, you may not be able to offset the entire expense.
A bank loan can typically be paid between one and 10 years. You can deduct each payment against AIA, but the interest rates (that are subject to fluctuations) can make it hard for you to plan your finances for the long term. Plus, you run several other risks if the loan is tied to some of your crucial assets. Furthermore, a bank loan may not cover all the expenses related to your project.
A lease, on the other hand, can cover everything, from design and build to office furniture. You can also write the payments off as expenditure. And, since the payments are fixed, they are also easy to budget for. Your cash flow is protected since you don’t need a large deposit. You would lease purchase and only pay a token to transfer ownership at end of the payment plan.
The current lease conditions are quite flexible and friendly for Scottish businesses.
Why?
Because leasing is not yet as popular here as it is in the USA or other European states. However, as its popularity begins to grow, the advantages are likely to diminish.
How Leasing Unties Your Capital
Your capital is the backbone of your company. When you can’t make the investments you need, your growth is stalled. This is why it’s always a good idea to have a healthy cash flow and a healthy investment capital instead of tying it up in various assets and/or overdrafts.
Leasing your office fit out or refurbishment project can help you:
Stay liquid: no large initial payment means that your cash flow is not significantly affected and remains free to be invested in the next great opportunity that knocks at your door.
Budget accurately: unlike in bank loans, in lease financing your payments are fixed because they are not subject to interest rates. So you know exactly what you will be paying today and two years from now.
Keep your bank credit lines free: your bank overdrafts are unaffected, so you can always use them for investment opportunities.
Buy cheaper: leasing can actually be cheaper than paying for the refurbishment of your office upfront. Even if the project exceeds the annual investment allowance of £1,000,000, you can still deduct all your leasing payments.
Tax efficient: for private sector organisations leasing provides a highly attractive fully tax deductable solution. In addition to that the VAT is spread as it is paid on each repayment.
Stay flexible: the typical lease is between three and five years, but you can always opt for a personalised length of contract that fits your monthly budget and your needs.
Start your project quickly: bank loans and credit lines can take months to be approved. A lease financing can take as little as a few hours.
Who is it for?
Public sector: by spreading the costs, the projects can be delivered as and when they are needed most.
Charities: have a duty to trustees to make budgets work as hard as possible and get the VAT to spread, as most charities can’t claim the VAT back.
Professions: like doctors, lawyers, accountants, dentists and vets, but also partnerships are all subject to higher rates of tax and the tax benefits need to be explored.
Large Corporates: having lots of available capital doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t explore tax benefits. The available cash can then be used where it most benefits the business.
SMEs: with the saved capital, new people can be recruited to grow the business.
Don’t Postpone Your Office Fit Out and Furniture. Be Smart about it Instead!
At Amos Beech, we know a lot about how office interiors can shape and transform your corporate culture. From better acoustics to switching to activity-based working, we’ve seen seemingly minor improvements bring great results.
This is why we have partnered with the top lease financing company in the country to offer you the flexibility you need to reap the benefits of office refurbishment and fit out NOW, not in a couple of months or years.
Wellbeing, Wellness & Workplace
Wellness is now BIG business! It moves you one step closer to a new, and better you - a you that drinks green juices and rids your body of all lingering toxins, a you that enrolls into spin classes before 6 am and has more energy as a result, a you that plugs into head space every evening to calm the mind before your 8 hours of sleep.
For the past month at Amos Beech, wellness has been at the forefront within the office. By being provided with a conscious checklist, we've become more self-aware of our actions and routines within our lifestyle and how it affects us in the workplace.
Wellbeing & Wellness in the Workplace
Here are a few insights and examples that you can try to integrate into your workplace to get the Work/Life balance back on track:
Outside, Inside
Since our blog about Biophilia within the workplace, we've all seen workplaces flourishing everywhere. But how about having greenery with a purpose? At Takahashi Hiroko, based in a former factory in Tokyo, redesigned by schemata includes an indoor garden with edible plants.
Fresh Foods
With your office-grown ingredients to hand, having healthy food options will fuel your employees and keep their cravings for sweet and fatty foods away. Even as simple as sharing good food at a decent table will work wonders for your firms' staff morale and community feel.
Workout While Working
Many Japanese corporations understood early on the importance of exercise for their employees. It grew out of their philosophy of kaizen, or “continual improvement.” They appreciated that a workout could make their employees healthier and more productive, therefore began to schedule exercise programs during work hours.
We suggest dedicating a bit of space to being 'multi-use' area, where a variety of exercise classes and wellness workshops could take place. Consider offering something different from the standard yoga, perhaps something that also encourages teamwork. But if space is limited, try getting your employer to take a step in the right direction by contributing towards a gym membership or cycle to work scheme.
Personalised Technology
In other news, Scotland's first development has been accredited with a Platinum WiredScore Certification at 177 Bothwell Street, Glasgow, to assure future occupiers with the best connectivity. We've seen more products beginning to appear that allow employees control over their surroundings, but also products that understand and adapt to the needs of the employees throughout the day.
Philips has installed a system of LED lights in an office in Prague that fluctuate to the circadian rhythms of employees from morning through to night. This ideal is reminiscent of the Endless House, a conceptual work of architecture by Frederick Kiesler in 1924; “endless like the human body—there is no beginning and no end to it.” In the future, we will see smart buildings understanding the needs and wants of the inhabitants and adapting seamlessly.
Healthy Workstations
Until that point, we've seen a rise in technology being incorporated into furniture items keeping employees staying connected with air-charging and USB points. These small details make life just that little bit easier on the most stressful of days. Even by giving employees a choice with their desking, implementing sit-stand desking is more comfortable and healthier for the body.
Art for All
The Sculptor Nick Hornby past artist-in-residence was in an unlikely location - the London headquarters of law firm Pinsent Masons. He brought lawyers to his studio and curated his artwork around the office.
The art can play a part in the culture of the workplace, representing a set of shared attitudes, values, goals and practices. As well as being thought-provoking and sparking discussions with other staff members.
A Daily Pause
In Kiev, the Grammarly Office has a dedicated nap room that includes three sleeping blocks, with a weight sensor under the mattress that sends a signal to light with the indication of zZZ letters outside. The power of sleep and quiet reflection is becoming more commonly recognised as valuable, great opportunity to allow your mind and body to relax.
Happy Holidays
And we all know that a holiday is the best occasion to really relax and rebalance oneself. How about providing your employees with a 'wellbeing day' or have their birthday off on top of the standard holiday allowance to show your appreciation. Or go the extra mile, like FormRoom they are proud to offer a one month (fully paid) sabbatical for every 3 years your stay with their team. They reiterate the value of 'Let the company you work for, lift you up and push you forward; not drag you down or hold you back.'
Do you want to read more about how to improve your workplace? Check:
Blog and graphics by: Design Team
Publication date: August 14th, 2019