Hybrid and WFH Setup: The Pros and Cons of Remote Work and its Effects on Employees

The COVID-19 pandemic pushed many employees to work remotely in an effort to alleviate the spread of the virus. Remote work arrangements, such as work-from-home (WFH) and hybrid setups, slowly took over the working methods of many to continue work operations while adhering to quarantine and social distancing protocols within the workplace.

Both hybrid and WFH setup have their own benefits and limitations on an employee’s work behavior. To help you, this article will discuss the pros and cons of remote work, along with the effects it has on employees and their overall work performance.

The Emergence of Remote Work

Despite its recent trends, remote work arrangements have been present in the past, allowing companies to make their business operations more flexible. These work arrangements can also produce cost-effective strategies with finances and resources by maximizing its expenses on more important business operations rather than maintaining costs such as rent, electricity, office supplies, etc.

Furthermore, remote work allows employers to hire people from different places, allowing them to choose the ideal individual that best fits the needs of the role despite locational boundaries. A WFH setup means that tasks are completed remotely rather than working in the office. On the other hand, a hybrid setup allows employees to work both in the office and at home, depending on their schedules and preference.

Advantages of WFH and Hybrid Arrangements

Both remote work and hybrid setup can be more appealing to employees as these arrangements provide them with a more streamlined and flexible work option. WFH setup allows employees to work from their homes daily while the hybrid setup gives an employee-first environment towards working. This way, employees can determine what kind of work setup best caters to their needs and work habits.

Maximizing remote working possesses numerous advantages for both employees and employers, such as:

1. Flexibility. A more flexible working schedule can be achieved when employers opt to apply for a work-from-home scheme. Employees can better manage their time between accomplishing work and personal tasks.
2. Reduced Commute. It is reported that employees choose an office near their location to acquire the convenience and easy access to the workplace. Longer commuting time can be the cause for exhaustion and added stress, which could lead to dissatisfaction and ultimately reasons to resign. 
3. Broaden Inclusivity. WFH and hybrid arrangements introduced innovative working habits, including the ability to hire people from different places. Aside from location, this setup also enables you to recruit people with different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. 
4. Better Time Management.  Employees learn to be more independent and disciplined towards work. This will allow them to be more responsible for managing their time to finish their daily tasks.
5. Improved Mental Health. Isolation can tamper with an employee’s mental health. Opting for a hybrid work setup helps improve mental health by providing the option to flexibly come into the office despite the pandemic.  The CDC reported that 1 out of 5 adults experience mental health issues, with the added stress from the pandemic the numbers kept on rising, that is why it’s important for employees to have a balance between having to work alone and working in an office environment.
6. Increased Employee Satisfaction. Remote work can contribute to an increase in employee satisfaction. This gives room for employees to work when and where they are most comfortable.

WFH and hybrid setup hold several advantages that can benefit employees and improve their work behavior and performance in the long run. Incorporating such schemes into your work model, especially when considering to apply long allows you to maximize the output your company provides while increasing employee satisfaction and retention amid the pandemic.

Disadvantages of WFH and Hybrid Arrangements

Despite its advantages, WFH schemes and hybrid setups may be challenging for many individuals, affecting overall work performance. That said, each setup has its own few shares of disadvantages such as the following:

1. Lack of Motivation. Lack of motivation can happen to employees when working remotely. It’s easier to work on a project when you have co-workers that share the same goal as yours rather than working alone. 
2. Too Many Breaks. Working at home can be challenging since employees have to discipline and regulate themselves to do their tasks. However, there are days that can make them take unnecessary breaks that hold them from accomplishing their deliverables. 
3. Mental Exhaustion. Flexibility can turn into a limitation when it is taken beyond the limit. Working from home can result in employees forgetting to clock out, eat, and rest which can limit their work-life balance. 
4. Cyber risks. Working from different locations can be risky from cyber-attacks. Companies that are on a WFH and hybrid setup must secure their system through constant software updates, strong password management, multi-factor authentication, etc. 
5. Distant team relationships. Employees working in the office and those working from home may have a distant relationship since they don’t see and bond with each other often. This situation can cause information gaps since remote workers may feel isolated and may not report their needs to their superiors. 
6. Decreasing customer service. One of the most important factors in a business is customer satisfaction. Traditional business operations will have customer-facing employees that will be there to help with the client’s problems, now that the pandemic limited the face-to-face interactions customer-related problems are done remotely. This may cause missed opportunities and interrupted transactions. 

Both WFH and hybrid setups can affect the employee and the company’s performance negatively. That said, it is best to plan and study these arrangements before fully implementing them since it depends on the type of business whether these setups will work.

Implications of Remote Work on Modern Day Employees

Remote work has been further practiced ever since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic., This work arrangement helped countries to lessen infection rates since social distancing has been the main protocol.

With a growing rate of employees preferring remote work schemes, some companies are grasping the concept of switching their business operations to remote work setup. A report by Gartner cited that 74% of Chief Financial Officers and Finance leaders (CFO) are planning on switching to remote work for good.

Research conducted by Global Workplace Analytics (GWA), shows that business loses US$600 billion a year to office distractions. It also shows that employees work better when they are at home. Companies can maximize their finances by cost-cutting business expenditures such as space rent, electricity, water, and so on.

The effect of remote work on employees, on the other hand, may vary depending on the preference of the employee. A study by Gallup states that 54% of American employees would want to split their time between working from home and in the office, while 37 percent want to work at home permanently. Providing options such as the hybrid setup and the WFH setup gives employees the option to work according to their comfort and when they are most productive.

Identify  Which Business Setup Best Fits Your Company

WFH and hybrid setup promote the same goal which imparts safety and effective work arrangements that will keep their employee’s physical and mental health secured and in good shape. These work arrangements have different benefits and limitations that need to be considered in order to successfully work.

Analyzing the impacts of WFH and Hybrid setup can be challenging. If you find these work arrangements too complex to implement, you may seek help from recruitment firms to guide you through the right process when considering applying WFH and hybrid work arrangements permanently.