Trends

The hybrid model of work

The last year and a half have been a global experiment on the reality of remote work. Now, with the whole of Québec transitioning to the green zone, the easing of health restrictions and the reopening of Canadian borders, it is a first signal that a certain return to normalcy is on the horizon. The provincial government recently announced a gradual return to the office for city workers as of September under a hybrid model which translates into two days in the office and three days from home.

According to surveys done by the Institut de développement urbain (IDU), remote work had declined in popularity at one point, but with the news of a possible return to the office, interest in remote work has rebounded with 76% of respondents saying they would prefer to work from home more than half of the week if they were to return to the office. This popularity is mainly due to the benefits associated with work-life balance and the time savings related to reduced commuting between home and the workplace.

The challenge now resides in finding the right balance for employees and employers. Effective communication between employers and workers needs to be established to find a consensus. Several considerations must be addressed to plan for a safe return to the post-pandemic office. The health and safety of workers remain the priority in the eventual reopening of activities. Managers will therefore have to ensure compliance with public health regulations and precautions will also have to be taken in the event of a fourth wave in the fall. Landlords, for their part, must review the quality of their HVAC systems to ensure proper air quality.

For companies that are looking to adopt the hybrid model of work, questions arise both on an operational as well as on a workplace level. According to a survey by the Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines agréés, nearly 50% of organizations surveyed plan to make significant changes to their current office space in the next year or so. Most companies are conscious of the importance of creating work environments that will promote exchanges, meetings, collaboration, and the sharing of information. There is a sense that a workstation would no longer be assigned to a single employee, but that workstations would serve a variety of purposes for a variety of employees.

It is clear that the function of the office is set to evolve. With the generalized adoption of remote work, certain individual assignments can be easily performed from the comfort of your own home. Offices therefore take on an entirely different role which tends towards collaborative work, team building, innovation, corporate culture, collective productivity, and a sense of belonging. The considerations associated with the so-called hybrid working model is an opportunity for organizations to be bold and innovative in planning for the future. The labour shortage is currently a huge challenge faced by many businesses and the office has the potential to play a critical role in attracting talent in the months and years to come.

The challenge for managers will be to develop the future model of workplace and to establish new standards for offices. The “one seat per employee” model will undoubtedly be revisited; expect that 20% to 70% of the workspace will be made up of unassigned seats. Of course, this approach will evolve over time and will certainly depend on each and every company’s vision as well as the corporate understanding between employer and employee.