Hybrid Working: Why is it Being Discussed?

Hybrid working has become an increasingly discussed term as the Covid-19 vaccination process gathers pace and hopes of ending social distancing measures in the workplace increase.

But after never hearing about it before, what does it mean and how would it impact employees across the UK?

What is hybrid working?

This term relates to a new way of working for employees, whereby they spend a percentage of time in the office and the rest of their working week at home. Although this won’t apply to certain job roles and professions – among others, factory workers, on the whole, will not be able to conduct production line tasks anywhere but the workplace – there are a huge number of office-based roles which have successfully been done remotely without a big impact on productivity.

Why is hybrid working being discussed?

It is being discussed now because the vaccination programme is picking up speed, with the hope that all adults in the UK will have been offered a vaccination against the Covid-19 virus by the end of July. With that in mind, there is the temptation to welcome all remote workers with open arms.

However, a growing number of companies have spotted an opportunity to reduce overheads, and office floorspace, by rotating staff and allowing them to work both from home and in the office when required.

IWG – a global workspace provider – chief executive Mark Dixon told the BBC that he believes the hybrid working model will “become the norm”.

“Something’s happening and it is a change to the way that companies and people work,” he told the BBC’s Today programme.

How can companies encourage effective hybrid working?

Having a hybrid working model is one thing; implementing it successfully is quite another. The potential pitfalls include:

• Inappropriate remote workstations
• Injuries sustained as a result of bad posture when working from home
• A feeling of employee isolation when away from teams and departments.

To offset these issues, a company should utilise Onhealth and their remote workstation assessments. These individual assessments of an employee’s home work set-up are conducted by Onhealth’s medical professionals, with advice administered remotely, via video call, and a full report created for a company’s HR department to keep track of progress in making the set-up as efficient and effective as possible.

The benefits are many; creating positive bonds with staff, helping avoid potential ailments from inappropriate set-ups and, consequently, limiting time off sick due to aches and pains generated while working from home.

If you want the professional expertise and support of HCPC registered physiotherapists to help boost employee health and wellbeing in your company, contact us today to find out about our remote workstation assessments by email or call our team on 0344 576 1679.