Creating effective hybrid work policies: Top tips & template

Hybrid work offers employees the best of both worlds – the flexibility of remote work and the camaraderie of in-office time. But managing a hybrid workforce is not an easy feat, which is why you need to ensure you have the right hybrid work policy.

Often, homeworkers end up working longer hours with fewer career advancement opportunities than their in-office counterparts. Additionally, a lack of a formal hybrid work policy could leave your employees anxious or demotivated. In some cases, it could also create two classes of workers, remote and in-office, with remote employees being treated as “second-class.”

‍So, once you've established your business is ready for hybrid work, you need to create a strong hybrid working policy that:

• Is equitable and fair to everyone
• Provides the right working conditions to all employees
• Outlines all available hybrid arrangements and requirements
• Sets clear rules for remote and office work, including working hours, required office presence, and communication channels and tools

We also advise you to use hybrid work software to make desk booking and attendance management easier.

Just as workplace policies or employee handbooks outline dos and don'ts for employees, hybrid working policies should lay down clear criteria and rules around hybrid work and also provide best practices for employees.

Below, you'll find a hybrid work policy template you can grab and use for free, plus our top tips on how to build a sensible flexible policy that works well for you and your employees – but first, let’s clarify what hybrid work actually is.

‍

Defining hybrid work

Hybrid work is a flexible work model that allows employees to divide their work time between the office and their home – or different locations, such as coworking spaces, libraries, or even coffee shops. It recognises that not all tasks require a physical presence in the office, and some can be effectively completed from a distance, especially if you provide your employees with the right communication and project management systems.

By implementing a hybrid work model, you can offer your people the freedom to choose where they work and enable them to strike a better work-life balance. This, in turn, can lead to better job satisfaction and retention – and improved employee well-being.

‍

Your free hybrid workplace policy template

The template below is yours to use; you can simply copy and paste it and tweak it to fit your organisation's needs. ‍

‍

Policy overview

Beginning [Date], [Company] will implement a hybrid work model. All employees are eligible for hybrid work. Schedules must fit within one of the models described below and be cleared by your manager.

Please read the entire policy and sign to confirm you have read it. Contact [name and email of contact person] if you have any questions.

‍

Hybrid work schedule

Hybrid schedules depend on your department; you have flexibility within the hybrid model below. Contact your direct supervisor with questions.

‍

‍

All departments should book office space for in-office days with Officely.

‍

‍Key performance indicators (KPIs)

Your manager will discuss with you all relevant key performance indicators and how they might be affected by hybrid work.

‍‍

In-office amenities

Employees working at the office more than 3 days a week will have a dedicated desk, parking space, and access to the company gym or childcare services.

‍

Equipment and software

For all employees, the company will provide:

• Laptop
• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Headset
• Cellphone

Employees working remotely more than 2 days a week will also receive stipends to cover internet costs.

‍

Compensation and benefits

Compensation might be subject to adjustments if relocating to a different city or area.

Employees will also receive the following additional stipends:

• Gym memberships/related health membership
• Virtual health consults
• Virtual mental health counseling
• Childcare
• [Add more benefits here]

‍

Communication tools and guidelines

Use the following tools for remote communication:

• Email for weekly updates, updates for clients, delivery of material to clients
• Slack for team-wide communication, client groups (if requested), quick announcements
• Google Meet for meetings, presentations, stand-ups
• Officely for updating your work location (remote or from the office) and booking desks

Prioritise the use of public channels of communication and be respectful of others’ time and show up punctually for meetings.

‍

Commitment to equal opportunities

We’re committed to providing a similar experience to remote and in-office employees. To ensure everyone has equal access to opportunities, managers must:

• Use public channels to announce new work opportunities and projects
• Review how often employees are promoted with respect to their work preferences

‍

10 tips for building a successful hybrid and remote work agreement

Below, you’ll find our top tips on how to manage the transition to a hybrid work model – and how to ensure that it works well for you and your team.

‍

1. Determine eligibility for hybrid work

Before you start building your hybrid policy, define the roles for which hybrid work is possible and those for which it is not.

Here are some examples:

• Roles suitable for hybrid work: Most roles in project management, software development, design, marketing, finance, accounting, and admin
• Roles that require mostly in-office presence: Front desk and customer-facing roles, field staff managers, facility management staff, any role involving physical work

You might still want to offer employees in the second category some flexibility, for example by providing occasional WFH days. You might even have team members from other departments like marketing or finance cover office-based roles like the front desk from time to time to allow for more equitable access to remote work.

If your team has been working remotely but you'd like to switch to a hybrid work schedule, use an employee return-to-work survey to uncover potential concerns.

Make sure to consider resource utilisation and how exactly you'll manage your office space. One of the best ways to do that is with the help of desk booking software.

‍

2. Define the right hybrid work model and schedule

Hybrid work isn’t one-size-fits-all. 

Your hybrid work model might be remote-first, where employees are allowed to work remotely most of the time, or lean toward more in-office presence.

Because the term "hybrid" can mean so many things, outline the number of remote workdays allowed in your office and the advantages for each preference. For example:

• Remote 1-2 days per week: Because these employees are in the office more frequently, consider offering them a dedicated office or desk and parking space.
• Remote 3-5 days per week: Employees might have to surrender dedicated office desks but will be provided a hot desk or common area to work in the office. They may be eligible for visitor parking.
• Fully remote: These employees don’t have dedicated workspaces and may be eligible for visitor parking. They might visit the office on occasion for a few hours or a day and reserve a hot desk when they do. 

Desk booking software like Officely can make it easy to manage different schedules and give everyone the visibility they need to organise their work – and come to the office when others are there.

If you offer fully remote roles, specify if these roles are based out of specific countries, states, or cities. If you need remote employees to come to the office occasionally for client meetings and events, you might prefer to hire in your city or region.

For employees choosing hybrid work arrangements, specify if they'll set their own flexible schedule or if schedules will be manager-led. Employee-led hybrid work schedules usually provide better results, because employees know best where and how they work best.

Whatever style you choose, define when you'd expect team members to be available for work-related communication. Certain roles like customer support might need to work specific hours, even remotely.

‍

3. Review employee compensation

Be clear about how an employee’s location and work preference (in-office, remote, hybrid) affect their compensation and benefits, so employees can weigh the pros and cons of their choice.  

For example, if you have 100% remote positions with the option to relocate to another city or country, you might consider adjusting employee salaries to the cost of living – or decide against it. Or you could provide in-office or hybrid workers with a commute allowance.

Remote-first company Buffer has shared their salary calculator publicly, and you might want to use a cost of living calculator when defining salary ranges. However, you need to make sure you're not penalizing employees who opt for a hybrid model or those who choose to work remotely.

‍

4. Expand wellness and health benefits

Hybrid work offers ample flexibility, but it also has a few downsides. Employees who often work remotely might feel more isolated and some might need additional support to avoid burnout.

Here are some ways to safeguard employee health and mental wellbeing in remote and flexible working arrangements:

• Offer virtual health consultations on platforms like Teladoc and Wellthy and provide access to mental health services like Talkspace and Lyra Health
• Provide a few hours of free mental health counseling in addition to virtual consulting, if they’re not part of your Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)
• Normalise taking time off not just for vacation but also for mental health and to care for family
• Offer stipends for exclusive in-office perks like childcare and gyms
• Encourage managers to make video optional during some meetings and reduce the number of mandatory calls per week

‍

‍

5. Make sure you know the legal requirements for hybrid work

Ask your legal counsel or HR department about all local and national laws you should comply with in relation to hybrid work. Explain how you’ll fulfill legal requirements in your flexible work policy.

Here are some questions to get you started:

• Where is your business legally allowed to operate? This might affect the locations from which employees can work remotely.
• Do you need to reimburse employees for home office equipment? In states like California, laws require employers to reimburse employees for office equipment like computers, laptops, and desks. 
• Do you need to reimburse employees for office travel? While daily commutes are generally not reimbursable, for employees who work primarily from home, you might need to reimburse office travel.
• Do you need to pay overtime? Federal US laws require employers to pay overtime if employees work for more than 40 hours in a week, or in some states, more than 8 hours a day. If such laws apply in your country or state, you’ll need to define how you'll track time and whether employees require manager approval to work extra hours.

‍

6. Implement the right tech to uphold your new policy

The success of your hybrid work policy depends on the tools you use. Hybrid work software like Officely makes desk booking simple – and gives your employees and admin staff visibility into office attendance, making it easier to manage hybrid schedules and resources effectively.

With Officely, employees can easily reserve desks, see who’s in the office, and plan their workdays for better collaboration or focused work, all directly within Slack or Microsoft Teams. 

Other tools you should consider include: 

• Project management platforms like Asana or ClickUp
• Video conferencing software like Zoom, MS Teams, or Google Meet
• Knowledge sharing platforms like Confluence or Notion

For more ideas, check out our article on the best productivity tools for hybrid work.

‍

7. Set up information security measures for hybrid work

In your office, you're in control of all security measures like firewalls, virtual private networks (VPNs), on-premise servers, data centres, antivirus software, and authorised company equipment. And, while you can replicate most of these measures in a remote setting, your employees might need extra guidance to comply with data security measures.

When drafting your hybrid workplace policy, outline best practices for employees to keep your data safe, like:

• Set strong passwords and update them regularly
• Install security and software updates on a regular basis
• Avoid downloading suspicious, illegal, or unauthorised software
• Block suspicious websites and report any phishing attempts
• Use only work devices for work, and not their personal computers or smartphones
• Report any loss of equipment or information immediately
• Use a VPN as needed

‍

8. Create clear communication guidelines

Clear guidelines help eliminate communication silos. For hybrid teams, defaulting to remote-first online communication works best because it's equally accessible to in-office and remote employees.

‍

‍

In your hybrid workplace policy, mention:

• Channels or tools for meetings, quick messages, updates, stand-ups, announcements, and reports
• Expected response time for internal emails, client emails, and Slack messages
• Internal knowledge base tools for looking up company-related information, processes, and policies
• Who to get in touch with for common issues

‍

9. Track employee performance

In a traditional work environment, time spent in the office was often used as one of the measures of performance and engagement, although we could probably all agree that it's a horribly inaccurate one. In a hybrid workplace, the need for setting clear key performance indicators (KPIs) is even more obvious.

Define what success looks like for different roles. For instance, “Success as a sales manager means contacting X leads per month, a X% of closed deals, and $XX in revenue.”

You can also set goals for employee attendance specially for roles that benefit from in-person collaboration, and use dedicated software like Officely to measure that.

‍

10. Foster equity between employees working from home or in the office

Proximity bias is one of the most common challenges of hybrid work, or the tendency to favour in-office employees. Team members working from home might miss out on important work-related talks and decisions if they happen in ad hoc meetings or in the hallway.

To provide equal opportunities to all employees, irrespective of the specific hybrid or remote work arrangement they opt for, you might decide to:

• Measure speed of promotion by employees’ work preference to avoid bias
• Announce new work opportunities and challenges using online channels like Slack or email instead of in-person meetings
• Hold virtual ask-me-anything sessions with leadership where employees can voice concerns and ask questions
• Run anonymous employee surveys to gauge employee sentiments
• Make hybrid meetings the norm, so all employees can participate regardless of their location

‍

The benefits of hybrid work

Hybrid work is a smart way to balance flexibility with productivity. Here’s how embracing a hybrid model can benefit your team and your business.

‍

Improved work-life balance

By giving employees the freedom to split their time between home and the office, you help them to better manage their personal responsibilities and commitments while staying productive. 

Additionally, you enable them to design their own work environment based on their preferences and needs – and still share time with others in the office whenever they need to work together on specific projects. 

This balance can lead to happier, healthier, and more engaged team members.

‍

Better collaboration and focus

Hybrid work allows employees to work together in person when it matters most and focus on deep work at home or in dedicated office areas without distractions. Finding the right balance between collaboration and individual work will depend on each person and role, but giving the possibility to switch between the two will help improve teamwork and individual productivity.

‍

Cost savings for everyone

Hybrid work enables businesses to downsize office space strategically and therefore reduce its associated costs (rent, utilities, and equipment), while employees save time and money on commuting and office lunches. 

Plus, it can also help reduce the environmental impact of your company.

‍

Steps to implement a hybrid work policy

Now that you have a policy template at your disposal and know what benefits hybrid work can offer, let’s see exactly how you can shift to this model, step by step. 

‍

1. Assess your company's needs

Before switching to hybrid work and flexible work hours, take the time to assess your company's needs and challenges. 

Consider factors like job roles, team dynamics, and client expectations. Identify potential roadblocks and develop strategies to address them.

‍

2. Draft the policy

Once you have a clear understanding of your company's needs, it's time to draft your hybrid policy. You can use the template above as your starting point and refine it as necessary. 

Involve HR, managers, and employees in the policy development process and make sure it aligns with both the company’s needs and your team’s preferences. 

Make sure the policy is comprehensive and easy to understand. Clearly define eligibility criteria, expectations, and guidelines for remote and hybrid work. Address issues like scheduling, time tracking, and performance evaluation.

‍

3. Share the policy with employees

Once the policy is ready, share it with everyone. Be transparent and address any concerns or questions others may have. Provide training and resources to ensure that employees can navigate the hybrid work environment easily. 

Regularly review and update the policy based on feedback and your team’s needs.

‍

Overcoming challenges in hybrid work arrangements

Now, let’s look into some of the problems you might face and see how you can tackle them. 

‍

Maintaining team cohesion

One of the biggest challenges of hybrid work is maintaining team cohesion and collaboration and reducing silos. 

Encourage regular team meetings, both in-person and virtually, to build strong relationships. Use collaboration tools to simplify knowledge sharing and manage projects efficiently. 

‍

Ensuring accountability and productivity

Remote and hybrid work may bring up concerns about accountability and productivity – but empowering employees to take ownership of their work usually yields much better results than micromanaging them.

Define clear expectations, goals, and KPIs for each role, along with metrics to measure performance. Give regular feedback and celebrate wins to keep employees motivated and engaged, and ensure they know what to do whenever they face challenges that might impact their work. 

‍

Addressing technical issues

Not all remote or hybrid employees will be sufficiently tech-savvy to tackle all technical issues on their own, so ensure that employees have access to IT support when needed. 

To maintain airtight security for your data and systems, you might also consider setting up regular maintenance checks for all company-provided equipment. Encourage employees to use secure internet connections and back up their work regularly.

‍

Boost your hybrid success with help from Officely 

Hybrid work policies help you build a work environment that's centred around your employees' well-being and work-life balance, which will help you improve productivity and attract top talent.

To implement this successfully, you need the right hybrid work policy template, which you can find above, along with the right software tools. Here's a sample tech stack to get you started:

• Communication platforms such as Slack, Google Meet, or MS Teams
• Productivity and project management apps such as Asana, ClickUp, or Monday.com
• Desk booking software such as Officely

Officely simplifies hybrid work and makes it easier for employees to reserve desks and know the best days to go into the office. Book a free demo to see how easy it can be to build a strong flexible work policy with the right software at hand – and check out Officely’s Complete Guide to Office Management in Flexible Workplaces for more ideas on how to make hybrid work work for everyone. 

What is Proximity Bias?

Proximity bias in the workplace presents itself as managers and teammates prioritizing those they are physically closer to. 

It has its roots in the human survival instinct: you trust the people you see most often because you view them as ‘safe’. 

When this manifests in a workplace, however, this results in sub-conscious favoritism of people you see the most or, in a remote work environment, are the closest to geographically. 

Proximity bias could be keeping those in the office more informed about ongoing projects, through to feeling that those in the office are more productive than those working remotely. 

While studies suggest that in reality, those who work from home are more productive, the concerns around proximity bias are not unfounded.

The Society of Human Resources found that negative perceptions of remote workers still remain, with over 67% of supervisors believing remote workers to be more replaceable, and remote workers being less likely to receive a promotion. 

‍

What are Examples of Proximity Bias? 

If you’re unsure whether your hybrid workplace is experiencing proximity bias, here are three of the most common issues to look out for:

‍

1. Asking for opinions on important decisions from those in the office rather than remote workers‍

If you’re making a decision and need input from others, the ‘others’ you ask for opinions from shouldn’t be limited to those sitting next to you. 

With so many communication tools available, there is no reason to leave out those you could send a quick Slack or Teams message to. 

However, as it’s easier to simply ask those around you, this feeds into proximity bias, feeding the thought process that those around you have more valuable opinions. 

‍

2. Offering in-person employees more opportunities

There’s little room for impulsive thoughts in any workplace, but it’s even more important to think big decisions through when your team works from different locations.

If you have an upcoming opportunity, every person in your team or office should be given the same consideration. When proximity bias occurs, those working from home are de-prioritized as your first instinct is the people you see most often.

‍

3. Believing in-person employees are more productive

It’s not uncommon when working in the office to have last-minute meetings. While these are usually unavoidable, it means you have a closer view of the workload of certain employees.

Workloads are not conducive to productivity, especially when you are only seeing the output of a small number of individuals. Proximity bias means subconsciously believing that those you have a closer eye on are producing more work. 

‍

How Does Proximity Bias Impact Hybrid Workplaces? 

Proximity bias feeds exclusion and low morale, but it can manifest in a variety of ways in a hybrid workplace.

Remote workers may feel like they are being “forgotten” or overlooked due to their lack of physical presence in the office. 

They might find it difficult to stay informed about what’s happening within their team or organization if your business doesn't have a suitable suite of hybrid tools, or there are fewer opportunities for them to engage with colleagues online.

These factors can lead remote workers to feel isolated and disconnected from their place of work, which could ultimately impact morale and productivity levels. This also increases the likelihood of employee churn, with over 79% of employees who quit their jobs linking it to a lack of appreciation. 

Proximity bias could also result in inequitable job opportunities for those who don’t live near your company’s headquarters. 

For instance, if internal job postings are only listed on an office bulletin, it could limit potential candidates from further away from applying and having access to those available positions. 

This would result in less diverse hiring practices which could exacerbate any existing discrimination issues within the organization. 

Taking steps towards establishing equality amongst all employees will, at the very least, create a more friendly, balanced workplace. At its best, it can prevent discrimination and inequitable opportunity.

So, let’s take a look at how to do it. 

‍

How Do You Prevent Proximity Bias?

Half of the battle with any subconscious thought is recognizing that it exists. 

Now you’ve established proximity bias as a potential issue, here’s how your hybrid workplace can avoid it:

‍

Be Proactive About Checking In

When you’re in the office, how many times do you bump into colleagues in the kitchen? Or exchange pleasantries throughout the day?

Those little check-ins add up. You’re learning more about those individuals and getting to know them better for it. Obviously, this is a positive thing, but it doesn’t need to be exclusive to those in the office. 

Use an instant messaging app to keep in touch with your remote employees; ask how their weekend is, find out how their work is going, and have informal chats throughout the week. 

Providing employees who work from home with more opportunities to talk with you will also build rapport from their side and make reaching out more natural when problems arise. 

‍

‍Prioritize Remote-First Communication 

If you’ve adopted a hybrid work model, your central place of communication should not be in-person, in the office. 

Use a communication tool like Slack to maintain a consistent form of communication whether at home or in the office and ensure every meeting has a Zoom link as a best practice. 

Getting into the habit of doing this means people will feel comfortable working from home without the risk of being left out. We’ve all had to send a ‘Can you send me a Zoom link’ message to a colleague who’s forgotten to add one to the calendar.

‍

Make it Easy for Employees to See Each Other 

Proximity bias doesn’t only occur when managing people, it also occurs when employees don’t see each other in person.

The easiest way to make sure your team is connecting with one another is by using a tool that allows employees to see who’s in the office and when.

Officely is a desk booking tool that lives in Slack. It enables employees to see who’s in the office, find out what’s happening each day, and book in themselves. 

Managers can send out invites for teams to come in on particular days, and your team can send out announcements if something important is happening in the office that requires attendance. 

When a new employee starts, for example, you can encourage your team to come in and meet them in person. This helps to build connections between team members and prevent proximity bias from the start. 

‍

Build (and stick to) Performance Reviews

Employees in the same role or at the same level should have performance reviews to assess promotions and opportunities.

Having set performance reviews and 1-1s avoids one of the biggest issues of proximity bias – the tendency to put office workers up for promotion more than remote workers. 

If you have a quota that individuals have to meet, you’ll know whether your decision has come from preference and capability. Define responsibilities and expectations at your hybrid workplace so both you and your team are aware of what progression looks like for their role.

Define Your Hybrid Working Policy

The most important thing you can do as a hybrid workplace is to define your hybrid working policy. Unsurprisingly, this also impacts proximity bias as everyone has the same expectations in the workplace, preventing penalization of those who work from home more than others. 

Your hybrid work policy should contain:

• How many days per week/month/quarter your employees must be in the office (remote-first)
• How often employees are allowed to work from home (office-first)
• What software employees must have to maintain communication within the team
• Health and well-being benefits for all employees, both remote and in-office

If you’re unsure where to get started, you can use our hybrid work policy builder for your own customizable template.

‍

To Prevent Proximity Bias, Acknowledge It

One of the most dangerous lines of thought when it comes to proximity bias in the hybrid workplace is ‘it doesn’t exist here’.

Burying your head in the sand always exacerbates a problem, and in this case, will lead managers and teams to ignore decisions led by proximity bias. 

The rise of hybrid work and flexibility is one of the most exciting workplace transitions in modern history, however, critique and reflection are critical for it to improve.

Using a variety of tools and approaches to keep on top of proximity bias will keep your hybrid workplace from falling into its trap. 

If you’re a business looking to ensure your employees stay connected, you can join Officely’s two-week free trial today, no credit card required.