09-18-2024
It is safe to say that we have largely emerged from the throes of the Covid-19 pandemic. Workplaces have shifted, adjusted, readjusted, and adjusted even more. According to Gallup’s May 2024 survey of remote-capable jobs,[1] 27% of employees now work remotely exclusively, 53% work a hybrid schedule, and 21% are working on-site exclusively. According to Gallup, more than half of these employees “expect and prefer” hybrid work with the advantages and challenges enumerated in the graphic below, “Top Advantages and Challenges of Hybrid Work, According to Hybrid Employees.”
Forbes closely echoes these findings,[2] projecting that by 2025, 32.6 million or 22% of the workforce will work remotely and forecasting a “continuous, yet gradual shift towards remote work arrangements.” Forbes also notes that 98% of workers want to work remotely at least some of the time.
It’s all happening, or more accurately, has happened and employers have been forced to adapt. If you find yourself continually grappling with the reality of how your organization is actually functioning on the other side of the pandemic upheaval, there are several actions to consider.
Revise Your Policies
A few organizations, but not all, have revised their employee handbook and policies to reflect their employees’ current working arrangements. Policies that reflect the reality of your workplace are a baseline practice and a critical component of an effective human resources strategy. A mix of on-site, hybrid, and remote employees increases the complexity and consequently the need for policies that reflect the reality of the organization.[3] Having accurate, up-to-date policies should be at the top of any employer’s to-do list whether their workforce is fully remote, hybrid, or otherwise.
Equip Your Managers
Policies should be a given, but beyond that fundamental step, employers should look beyond their policies and dig deeper into the state of their organizations – especially the more complex role of leadership and managers. From the Gallup feedback (see image above), employees are expressing concerns about connection, collaboration, and coordination. Stress and burnout, diminished connection to company culture, and difficulty in having their work seen are also concerns.[4] There are steps that an employer can take to mitigate the negative outcomes related to hybrid work, and moreover, increase engagement, productivity, and retention.
The road from the pandemic to a stable hybrid/in-office model has been anything but smooth for some organizations. Return to office mandates have been issued, protested, and fought by employees. Lawsuits have been filed.[5] We know that the employee relations aspects of remote work largely fall on leadership – often front-line managers. As EPS President Jill Rorschach mentioned in her article, “5 Keys to Hybrid Workplace Model Success,” we often hear concerns in our investigations that involve remote work complaints such as:
- Perceived inequities in remote scheduling or “privileges”
- Assumptions that we can’t “bother” a colleague on their remote day
- Lack of trust by managers that their remote employees are “really working”
- Unwillingness to “give up” a remote day to attend an onsite meeting or team building event
- Conflicts over “on camera” requirements for virtual meetings
- Employees who relocated while fully remote being required to return to the office
Managers have been grappling with balancing the push-pull of remote versus on-site work and navigating the new normal in ways that often leave everyone the worse for wear. Training leadership and managers in the key elements of mutual accountability – culture, communication, tools, and workspace – can provide managers the tools to trust and empower their teams.[6] Training should also reinforce the importance of joint accountability of individuals and teams to ensure success.
Training in general may have languished during the last 4 years as other priorities have taken precedence. The EEOC recently underscored the need for organizations to reexamine their current harassment prevention training programs to ensure the content targets emerging trends and best positions employers to minimize risk in key areas. Both harassment prevention and the development of leadership skills unique to remote and hybrid work models should be training priorities.
Prepare to Investigate Harassment in Virtual Work Settings
Remote/hybrid work has not eliminated harassment complaints – far from it. Whether harassment in virtual setting is attributable to an erosion of cohesion and culture, the challenge of maintaining boundaries between work and personal lives, or the challenges that come with managing and overseeing virtual teams, the EEOC recognized the shifts that have occurred since the pandemic and issued updated enforcement guidance focused partly on harassment in virtual settings. Employers should be aware of newer, sometimes less obvious, forms of harassment including cyberbullying, inappropriate comments on messaging channels, unwanted visual content, and the issues of isolation and exclusion, and implement proactive prevention measures such as training, clear anti-harassment policies, and easy-to-access reporting mechanisms. The EEOC also reinforced the importance of well-trained investigators conducting investigations into complaints of harassment including conducting investigations that are prompt, thorough, and well-documented. Investigations of complaints within virtual settings are no less critical than those in on-site environments.
Assess Your Progress
Your organization may have come through the last few years feeling that your progress has been solid. Kudos if that is the case. Even if your team has settled comfortably into a remote or hybrid mode of working, there may be room for improvement. If you are constantly dealing with issues related to hybrid work, it might be time to step back and assess what is working and what could still be improved.
A climate assessment, which may take the form of a customized on-line survey, one-on-one interviews (in-person or virtual), or facilitated focus groups, can identify opportunities for improvement in the work environment, highlight leadership strengths and gaps, and give team members the chance to provide invaluable feedback. Climate assessments assist teams, managers, and organizations in creating more engaged, inclusive, and respectful workplaces.
An HR practices assessment or gap analysis can provide organizations with a comprehensive review of policies, practices, procedures, and strategies, with the objectives of identifying opportunities for improvement and establishing best and compliant practices in key human resources competencies – including the optimization of remote/virtual work. The assessment may also be used to identify areas in which the organization excels or where there are opportunities for improved efficiency or potential cost savings. An assessment may take the form of a gap analysis that compares the organization's current HR practices and policies to industry best practices, identifies areas for improvement, and provides actionable recommendations to enhance existing practices.
The world has changed dramatically in the past four years. Examining and revising policies, taking proactive steps to provide training and empower managers to lead effectively in the environment of virtual work, investigating virtual complaints in hybrid environments in a timely and fair manner, and taking stock of your progress and your areas for improvement will set your organization on a path to productive, engaged, and respectful workplaces going forward.