Why do you think Hybrid Working is making people more stressed – Emerging evidence is beginning to support the anecdotal evidence that many workers report that hybrids are emotionally exhausted.
In a current international analysis by worker employment platform TINYpulse, over 80% of executives reported that this setup is tiring for employees. Workers also said that the hybrid was more emotionally taxing than fully remote deals and, alarmingly, full-time office work. With many companies planning to implement permanent hybrid work patterns and employees typically wanting their workweeks to be spent between home and office, these numbers are alarming. But what’s so emotionally draining about hybrid work?
How can workers and companies avoid the pitfalls of making hybrids really work?
As the pandemic spreads and flexible work habits become more ingrained, returning to the full-time office seems to be an item of history.
In theory, hybrids offer the best deal for both employers and employees. Incorporate pre-Covid-19 office work patterns with remote working hours in work plans for a unique collaboration and team-building, greater flexibility and the ability to focus on working from home.
It seemed like a victory for all the workers; in a May 2021 study, 83% said they wanted to go hybrid after the pandemic. “There was a sense that the hybrid would be the best of both worlds,” says Elora Voyles, an industrial psychologist and people specialist at TINYpulse.
“For bosses, it means they retain a sense of control and can see their employees in person. For employees, it’s more flexible than working in an office full-time, which means they can stay safe during the pandemic work.” However, as the novelty of mixed work waned, so did the enthusiasm of the workers.
“During the spring and summer months, many organizations were very eager to implement it. They took employees to the hybrid program, but then they quickly ran into problems.” Organizations that have never used a hybrid system before are suddenly creating policies on the fly, often without consulting employees.
“Hybrid methods have not yet become second nature, so they require more energy, organization and planning. You have to form new strategies – hot workspace, commute planning – that you wouldn’t need if you were completely remote or in person.”
Physical work back and forth between home and office can also have a psychological impact on some.
A hybrid could also carry a greater risk of a digital presence, Kinman adds, than a full-time remote job, which assumes the employer’s trust from the start. “If an employer creates a hybrid without trusting their workforce, it could be nothing more than a symbolic gesture.
Workers feel pressured to show their boss that they are not using homework. This can lead to overwork and burnout, the effects of which can be devastating but take a long time to manifest.”
For some workers, frustration with the hybrid means they gravitate toward jobs that fully control their schedules. “I thought a hybrid was for me, but dividing my time between home and work was too disruptive,” says Clara, who will soon be starting a completely remote job. “The office distracts me: you can be disturbed at any moment.
A hybrid can still be the perfect fit for workers if their employer does it right. “The point where the deal goes wrong when it comes to a hybrid program dictated by an executive.”
The hybrid may still be the future of work and represent the best of both worlds, but it still needs to be perfected. A hybrid can be successful when managers talk to staff about how the “setup” would work, perhaps on a case-by-case basis. “Limits should be set by both the employer and the employee,” says Voyles. “But there should be autonomy to allow the employee to manage their own schedule: flexibility should be dictated by the individual, not the boss.” “.
“People and organizations alike are saying they need a hybrid,” says Kinman. “So we have a great opportunity to change the way we work. But it has to go beyond the hours set by the bosses: it has to be a mindset that works for both employer and employee.”