After working from home for the past 12-18 months, employees around the world are making big decisions about what they want their work-life to look like. From the hours they want to work to the commute they are willing to endure, the work-life balance has been front and center for hundreds of thousands of people.
Many are now discovering that working from home 100% of the time may not be an ideal solution and yet they are also unwilling to go back to their former office full-time. The hybrid model of both work-at-home and traditional schedules becomes quite appealing and yet requires some serious consideration before making the leap.
If you’re considering a hybrid-office situation, keep these three things in mind.
Your technology budget will need to increase
If you’re not keen on lugging your laptop, cords, headphones, files, and all your other tech needs between locations, you’ll need to budget accordingly for technology to use at each location. This expense will also include the necessary work to have a professional IT company run wiring, connections, and installations in some cases.
To help smooth this transition, considering investing in digital tools and technology that will allow for seamless work across devices and requires fewer file transfers.
Set a schedule but keep it flexible
When working from two different locations, it will be important to let clients, potential visitors, and office mates know when to expect you at each location. Set a schedule that works for you and your teammates and share it with plenty of notice. However, keep in mind that unforeseen issues like neighborhood construction, internet outages, or a family emergency might dictate a last-minute change in your schedule. As long as you communicate well with those impacted by your schedule, major interruptions can be avoided.
Create the environment you need for the work you’re doing
If you’re a copy editor and you plan to spend your time in the office doing editing and research but the work at your home office is largely centered around the writing, the two spaces will require different setups. In the traditional office setting, you might prefer lots of natural light, common workspaces that allow you to communicate with team members easily, and a standing desk to ease the strain of sitting at a computer all day. At home, you can position your writing desk to face an outdoor scene that’s inspiring and install some soundproof panels to dull the neighborhood noise.
By defining the work you’ll do in each space, you’ll be better equipped to understand what you need from the workspace around you. And if modifications are needed in the traditional office environment, consider using office fit out services to adapt the space to fit your needs.
Right now, the workplace rules are all changing and employees have the leverage to create a work-life balance that suits everyone’s needs. If you’re considering a hybrid-location model, it might be best to try it out for a few weeks and monitor how it’s working. If your team or boss is willing to focus on the quality of the work instead of being concerned about your location, the hybrid model can give you the best of both worlds and be a win for everyone involved.
