Hybrid working has taken over traditional working patterns. Workers are using the opportunity to have a mix of home and office working. This benefits the individual as it gives them more autonomy over their work-life balance. Workers can choose whatever suits them best and balance other things which may be going on in life. There are also many sustainability benefits of hybrid working due to reduced travel expectations. This not only saves individuals time and money, but it also works towards reducing a business’s carbon footprint.
Hybrid working and collaboration
Our collaboration team are experts are finding hybrid working solutions for businesses. We are enthusiastic about being part of evolving workplace trends and bringing businesses up to speed digitally wherever we can. Within our own culture, we are constantly looking to empower workers to be the best they can be. This includes providing an environment where they can thrive. From our experience, it is key to give workers the choice to make decisions over their own working lives. As employers and team leaders, you can support them through this.
A sustainable approach to hybrid working
Moreover, we are aware of the sustainable benefits of hybrid working. This is an incentive for businesses, like ours, to ensure they reduce their carbon footprint. A study used mobile phone data to understand how commuting changed in various places around the UK. They found that homeworking resulted in an overall CO2 reduction of 17-60% on average. Therefore, working from home even part-time has positive impacts on both the environment and people’s individual well-being. It is a trend that is here to stay with more businesses deciphering how they can provide equal support at home and in the office. It is important to still put emphasis on office working for those who want to.
However, there have been some mixed feelings towards the sustainability benefits of working from home. Through the winter months, the number of people more extensively using energy in the home is likely to have increased. This is due to heating homes and using electrical appliances throughout the day. Many workers have reported being mindful of this, trying to layer up rather than using the heating too regularly. Equally, as the days begin to get warmer again, this will be less of an issue. Moreover, working from home means you are less likely to eat on the go or use chains that use single-use plastic. You are also more likely to use ingredients you have at home or use leftovers. This means less food is wasted and plastic consumed.
Our research
Since working from home became more popular during the pandemic, team leaders have developed better methods to understand and support their team’s needs. Since Covid-19 measures are continuing to relax and the UK Government continues to reiterate their ‘living with Covid plans’, our team leaders have been looking into how we can be best supported with our working patterns.
A recent survey we conducted among our staff showed that the majority of people prefer a combination of home and office work. However, it was important to them that they had a choice in this. Moreover, they felt they should be able to choose when they could work from home and when they came into the office unless there were exceptional circumstances or a particular reason to be in the office. If they were to return to the office full-time, they would feel somewhat dissatisfied.
The overriding finding we could see is that the combination of working at home and in the office brings people the most happiness and productivity. Clearly, our own staff see significant benefits of hybrid working.
Supporting staff wherever they are
The combination of working from home and in the office has positive effects on sustainability and also the happiness of workers. Therefore, the best thing employers can do is determine how best to support their team in either setting. Our collaboration experts treat every scenario uniquely, ensuring that the right solution is provided for each individual organisation. Some may lean towards designated spaces for collaborating, such as huddle or meeting rooms, whereas others may focus on the equipment the individual has which means they can work anywhere. The ideal setup would accommodate both, with minimal touchpoints to ensure there is as little room for error as possible.
