How to make a hybrid working model that actually works!
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Are you considering shifting your teams to a hybrid working model? While the ‘new’ way of working has gained a lot of positive press, there are a few things to consider before you jump on the bandwagon.

Right now is the perfect time to consider switching to a hybrid working model.

You can do some research, learn from the mistakes of other companies and create a policy that works for you and your employees.

One of those companies is Apple. They announced their new hybrid working policy recently and their employees don’t seem very happy about it.

Apple said that its employees would come into the office on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. And with manager approval, employees could have the chance to work from home on Wednesdays and Fridays.

These rules only applied to some teams. Others may have to work in the office every day or 4 days a week.

Apple also announced that employees could work from anywhere they wished for up to 2 weeks every year.

Its employees were not impressed. In a letter to the company, they expressed that the teams wanted more autonomy in deciding where to work, and that they worried for the company’s inclusivity when the rules were not all that flexible.

What can we learn from this?

Not every approach to hybrid working works!

It’s important to ask your employees what they want while weighing up what it could mean for your business. Don’t just switch to hybrid working to be current – do it if it is what your employees want, and it is an effective way for your team to work.

You can use the citrus HR staff survey tool to ask all of your employees what they think of hybrid working and how it would best suit them.

Your employees will undoubtedly all want to do different things.

Some might want complete independence and others would rather be in the office with their entire team on assigned days.

You never know until you ask. Then after you get feedback, you can weigh up the general consensus and what would work for your business before creating your hybrid working model.

Often more junior employees – like interns – would benefit from being in the office every day so they can learn from their peers, more than senior members who might be too busy and giving them back their commute might dramatically improve their wellbeing.

What if I would like to offer some hybrid working but I’m not sure if it would work?

Before you commit to a big change, it’s best to try it out first. After listening to your employees and creating your working policy, we would recommend trialling hybrid working for a few weeks to see if and how it would work best for you.

This would give your managers the time to understand the policy and what involvement they would have too. You can trial a rota system or use citrus HR to communicate where your employees will be working every day and make changes when you need to.

You won’t need to edit your contracts or give up your lease until you decide on your long-term plans, so a short trial period is a safe way to test out this new way of working that comes with little risk. The key is communicating that to the team.

Can an employee insist on hybrid working?

Although there has been some confusion recently about whether remote working will be the new legal default, one thing is for certain: the way that your employees work is still at your discretion.

Your employees can ask to work in the office, remotely or following a hybrid model, but ultimately it is your choice.

If you decide to make permanent changes to your place of work then you will need to consult with your staff about the changes and our HR Consultants can guide you through that process

If you need any advice about hybrid working get in touch on 0333 014 3888 or email info@citrushr.com for friendly, expert HR support.

The content of this blog is for general information only. Please don’t rely on it as legal or other professional advice as that is not what we intend. You can find more detail on this in our Terms of Website Use. If you require professional advice, please get in touch.

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