Hybrid working is an arrangement in which a company’s management and employees alternate between working in a physical office and working remotely. The transformation is now evolving as many firms adopt hybrid working practices to accommodate an increasingly digital-based workforce.

By Gallup’s recent survey, remote work flexibility appears to be quickly becoming a permanent feature of the workweek for most employees working remote-capable jobs, with nine out of ten preferring some degree of long-term remote flexibility in the future and nearly eight out of ten expecting it from their employer.

Given this shift in where and how remote-capable people work, the next key question is how to best arrange hybrid work schedules with employees who split their time between remote and office environments.

Expectations of Hybrid Work

Hybrid work expectations include:

• Employees have quick and secure access to business resources from wherever they are, including seamless transitions into and out of the office network and access to local and cloud resources.
• Being able to use any device (a personal iPhone or iPad or a professional laptop) from any location – home, work, a coffee shop, or an aircraft — while knowing that security controls would be in place.
• Less (or no) commute time and no friction when asking for resources to execute their work successfully.

General Statistics

General hybrid working trend

Gartner predicts that by the end of 2023, 39% of global knowledge workers will be working in a hybrid model that combines remote and office-based work.

This is a significant increase from pre-pandemic levels and is being driven by a variety of factors such as employee preferences, cost savings for companies, and the need for greater flexibility and work-life balance.

“For remote-first or hybrid organizations, fully mature virtual workspaces may replace the office as the embodiment of company culture and become the center of the digital employee experience,” said Christopher Trueman, Senior Principal Analyst at Gartner.

“However, employees should not be expected to engage in the virtual workspace for their entire workday. Virtual workspaces should only be used for meetings and interactions that will be enhanced by them, such as brainstorming, product reviews, or social gatherings.”

(Gartner)

More than 70% of employees are working from home at least two to three days a week.

This is an increase over the previous year’s EY Index, which indicated that just roughly 42% of firms used a mixed strategy. New and complex work patterns significantly impact a company’s real estate strategy, including the quantity of office space needed and the cost of using that space.

Almost 60% use, or plan to use, reservation systems for space usage and/or occupancy tracking.

(EY)

“Work-from-anywhere” is the new reality

By IWG trends forecast for 2023, work from anywhere is rapidly becoming the norm, and companies that embrace this trend are likely to see significant benefits.

• 70% of professionals work remotely at least once a week, and 53% work remotely for at least half the week.
• By 2025, an estimated 1.87 billion people will be working remotely.
• Remote workers are more productive and report better work-life balance than office-based workers. A remarkable 98% of managers said they’re confident in their teams’ ability to deliver results on non-office days, by the FlexOS report. 
• Work from anywhere is becoming a key factor for job seekers, with 70% saying it’s important when considering a new role.
• Companies that embrace work from anywhere see benefits such as increased productivity, reduced real estate costs, and access to a wider talent pool.
• Technology is a crucial enabler of work from anywhere, with tools like video conferencing, collaboration software, and cloud-based platforms facilitating remote work.

Hybrid work is preferred across ASEAN markets

The Cisco study highlighted many employees across ASEAN markets now prefer that hybrid work:

• Singapore – 71%
• Malaysia – 74%
• Indonesia – 84%
• Vietnam – 76%
• Thailand – 69%
• The Philippines – 60%

The support for hybrid work extends beyond employees as well — with 90% of employees saying their employers have been supportive of hybrid working.

In particular, 46% said their employers have been supportive, while 44% said their employers have been very supportive.

(Cisco)

Employees’ preferred work modes in APAC

In a 2022 survey conducted among employees in the Asia-Pacific region, a majority of 66 percent of the respondents stated they would prefer to work in hybrid mode in the future.

In contrast, only ten percent of the respondents preferred in-person work.

(statists)

The implementation of financial services firms

Studies show that 80% of financial services firms now have hybrid work models in place, with some allowing full flexibility and others requiring 2-3 days per week in the office.

The studies also found that only 20% of financial services companies require full-time on-site work. Instead, the majority (80%) offer hybrid or remote options.

These companies are roughly split between being fully flexible (39%), with no set on-site requirements, or having a structured hybrid model (41%), requiring 2-3 set on-site days per week.

Hybrid and remote models are more common in FinTech companies and smaller firms, and prevalence varies based on location and industry sector. The survey shows flexible work is becoming the norm even in traditionally office-centered industries like finance.

(scoopforwork)

The expectation of employers should remain flexible about hybrid working

Based on the voting made by Financial Times, more than 70% of people expect employers should remain flexible about hybrid working.

(Source)

The expectation of the number of days worked on-site per week

Hybrid workers vary widely in how many days they typically work from the office:

• one-third are on-site one day per week
• one-third are on-site two to three days per week
• one-third are on-site four days per week

Preferences for time spent on-site also widely vary with the nuance that very few want to work on-site four or more days per week:

• Only 12% of hybrid employees want to spend four or five days on-site in the typical week.
• Of the 88% of hybrid workers who prefer three days or fewer on-site, slightly more prefer two days on-site (29%) compared with one (19%) or three (22%) days on-site.

(Gallup)

Most Preferred Hybrid Schedule: Working On-Site Two Days Per Week

Fridays and Mondays are the least popular days to be on-site both in terms of voluntary attendance and employer-required days on-site.

• The daily mood shift from Sunday to Monday is the starkest in Gallup’s historical tracking. So it’s no surprise that Monday is a less popular day to be on-site than Tuesday through Thursday.
• In contrast, Fridays are decisively the most popular day to work from home so employees can focus on wrapping up their work assignments and quickly transition to their weekend plans.

Tuesday through Thursday are the days of the week hybrid employees work on-site most often and are also the days when on-site work is most likely to be required by employers.

(Gallup)

Percent of Engaged Workers by Number of Days On-Site

 Three of the most common hybrid policies are:

• 29% say their employer requires office attendance on specific days of the week (e.g., Tuesday through Thursday)
• 28% say their employer requires a minimum number of days on-site (e.g., one to four days per week), but doesn’t specify which days are required
• 43% say there are no universal on-site work requirements set by the employer

Employer requirements:

• 57% of hybrid employees say their employer sets office attendance rules — about half of those with attendance rules are required to be on-site a specific number of days and half are required to be on-site on specific days of the week (i.e., Tuesday through Thursday)
• 43% of employees report that their employer does not require a minimum number of days on-site

The most preferred and the most engaging policy:

• Many hybrid workers (60%) do not want their employer to set a universal scheduling policy.
• Employee engagement is highest among hybrid workers when their company does not require a certain number of days on-site.

(Gallup)

Benefits of working remotely

In 2022, the main benefit of remote work worldwide was the ability to have a flexible schedule with 67 percent of respondents naming it as the biggest benefit of working remotely. The flexibility to work from any location ranked second.

(statista)

Employee happiness and morale (60%) are cited as important benefits of remote work by managers, along with reduced commuting time and stress (54%), enhanced work-life balance (53%), increased productivity (35%), and an enlarged talent pool (30%).

(FlexOS)

Reasons People Seek Flexible Work 

Research by McKinsey & Co.

By McKinsey & Co. survey, 52% of people prefer a hybrid working model after the pandemic, while only 30% of people expect that pre-pandemic.

(McKinsey & Co.)

Research by FlexJobs

Also, an annual survey made by FlexJobs shows that 80% of employees prefer to work more flexibly, which will also increase their loyalty to the company because of remote working.

Work-life balance (75%):  
-They have more flexibility to take a better balance between their work and their lives; therefore, they can decide the spend more time enjoying their life. 
 
Family (45%): 
-They have more time to stay with their family members, even during working hours. 
 
Time savings (42%):  
-|They can save time for travel to the workspace and more time to rest. 
 
Commute stress (41%):   
–Remote work allows them to work on their own terms and out of the constant supervision of their supervisors, therefore they can work with much less stress.

(FlexJobs)

Research by Ergotron

One thousand full-time employees were sampled for Ergotron research. It was discovered that the hybrid workplace model has given employees the power to recover their physical health, and they are also experiencing benefits for their mental health as workers become more accustomed to hybrid and remote office environments since the start of Covid-19.

Overall, 56% of workers mentioned increased physical exercise, better work-life balance, and improved mental health.

“Promoting health and wellness among employees can improve well-being and productivity,” said Chad Severson, CEO of Ergotron.

“Over the past two years, employees have adapted to the hybrid and remote work landscape—and they now prefer it. As employers look to attract and retain talent, focusing on practices that promote well-being and help employees thrive wherever they work will be critical.”

• Job Satisfaction. It’s crucial to keep practicing flexibility. The majority of workers (88%) concur that having the option to work from home or the office has improved their level of job satisfaction.
• Physical health. The hybrid workplace has given workers the power to regain their physical well-being. 75% of respondents said that when they work remotely, they move about more and engage in more active work.
• Work-life balance. According to 75% of respondents, remote or hybrid working has improved their work-life balance.
  
  Even though some employees are spending more time at work, they claim that a better work-life balance has a favorable impact on their ability to balance work with other facets of their lives.
• Comfortable work environments. Improved workspaces with ergonomic furniture are crucial and boost corporate culture, according to 62% of the workers questioned.

(Ergotron)

Current and Anticipated Employee Work Locations for Remote-Capable Jobs

Prior to the pandemic, just 8% of remote-capable employees worked entirely from home, with around one-third having a mixed work arrangement.

Then the epidemic struck, forcing the great majority of remote-capable individuals to work from home in some form – as many as 70% worked entirely from home in May 2020.

Time travel to February 2022. Most remote-capable employees continued to work from home at least part of the time, but the divide remained virtually even: 42% maintained a hybrid schedule, and 39% worked totally from home.

(Gallup)

Estimated Remote Workforce by Industry

According to survey respondents, the average percentage of employees working remotely prior to COVID was only 16%.

Since then, that number has increased to 65%, with the majority of workers in the professional services (89%), information technology (88%), and financial services and insurance (74%) sectors working from their dining tables.

(greatplacetowork)

Percentage of people in America who work remotely full time

Nearly two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, roughly six-in-ten (59%) of U.S. workers say their jobs can primarily be done from home work from home all or most of the time. According to a new Pew Research Center survey, the vast majority of these workers (83%) were working from home before the omicron variant spread in the United States.

(pewresearch)

Percentage of U.S. work teams/departments that plan to work remotely in 5 years with comparison to pre-pandemic

“More than 20% of the workforce could work remotely three to five days a week as effectively as they could if working from an office. If remote work took hold at that level, that would mean 3 to 4 times as many people working from home than pre-pandemic and a profound impact on urban economies, transportation and consumer spending, among other things.” — “What’s Next for Remote Work”, McKinsey & Company, November 23, 2020

(weforum)

Frequency of working from home before the coronavirus pandemic in APAC

In a survey conducted in October 2020, prior to the implementation of remote work due to the coronavirus pandemic, 36% of respondents from the Asia-Pacific area claimed to work from home at least once each week.

(Statists)

WFH Frequency – Before and Post COVID-19

In the Stantec survey, 90% of respondents said they work from home more than four days each week. Before any North American government issued orders to stay at home, Stantec required remote work for all of its employees.

In a week, more than 19,000 workers had to switch to remote work in order to protect our staff and stop the virus’ spread.

The fact that more people are choosing to continue working from home after the epidemic may not come as a surprise to you. The typical respondent may work from home an extra day per week compared to their pre-COVID-19 habit, based on the self-reported frequencies in our survey.

(Stantec)

Remote Work Saves Commuting Time

Americans who are working from home have reclaimed 60 million hours, e.g. around 68,447 years, which means each American can saves 1.8 hours per day that used to spend commuting to an office each day.

They’re now using that time to get more sleep instead.

(Bloomberg)

Hybrid Workers Will Change Jobs for Flexibility, but Won’t Give Up Salary

Remote flexibility has become the norm. Remote-capable employees are willing to change jobs for it, but they are unwilling to give up more money in exchange.

More than 56% of remote capable employees will not give up any percentage of their salary for work location flexibility.

(Gallup)

Remote Teams Are More Engaged Than Office Workers

Remote workers consistently meet and exceed objectives, identify new processes, and contribute to company culture in the same way that anyone in a traditional brick-and-mortar setting does. In fact, they tend to achieve more.

According to a Stanford University two-year research, remote employees are, on average,

• 13.5% more productive than their office-based counterparts.
• 9% more engaged in their jobs.
• 50% less likely to quit.  

People movement

People movement in the U.S.

Some people have left city centers (e.g. NY and SF) from Feb 2022-Jul 2021.

(Standford)

Global workers’ mindset concerning hybrid work 2021, by category

In 2021, 42 percent of workers expect to thrive in hybrid employment. This demonstrates that over half of the worldwide workforce has an optimistic outlook on the future of work. Notably, 31% of respondents report feeling dissatisfied in this situation. (Statista)

Different generations’ expectations of hybrid working

It may be challenging to find a hybrid model that works for all generations: Three-quarters of Gen Zers (74%) desire more face-to-face collaboration chances, compared to 66% of Gen Xers and 66% of Baby Boomers. (Intuition)

High-growth businesses plan on hybrid working

63% of high-growth businesses use hybrid work models. (Intuition)

The percentage of people who plan to work from home

One survey found that 92 percent of those asked to plan to work from home at least once a week, and 80 percent expect to work from home at least three times a week. (Intuition)

The percentage of the programmer who is practicing hybrid working

85% of developers say their organizations are at least partially remote. (42.98% fully remote, 42.44% hybrid working)

Smaller organizations are most likely to be in-person, with 20% of 2-19 employee organizations in-person.

(StackOverflow)

The percentage of programmers who expects hybrid working after the pandemic

47.6% of developers said they expect to work in a hybrid model after the pandemic, while 38.8% said they expect to do fully remote work.

(StackOverflow)

Main challenges in working a mix of remote and in-person worldwide

In 2022, 43 percent of remote employees reported that the most difficult aspect of working remotely and in person was not feeling involved in meetings. (Statista)

For remote leaders’ largest remote work challenges, they answered distractions at home (46%), a lack of face-to-face interactions (37%), and technological or connectivity issues (33%.)

(FlexOS)

Favorite hybrid arrangement

Four out of ten employees say they want complete autonomy to come and go as they choose, while six out of ten want more structure.

There is even less agreement among those six in ten on how to synchronize in-person and remote schedules, with less than a third agreeing on how to define hybrid for their business.

Employee preferences and the appropriateness of hybrid work schedules vary greatly depending on the organization, team, role, and individual. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. What matters is that leaders assess which kind of guidelines work best for their team, given the sort of work they perform, the level of assistance required, and the team culture.

(Gallup)

Number of days per week they come to the office

Four out of every ten employees want to work two to three days each week, although this is far from the majority. Another three out of ten employees would like to spend one or two days per week in the office.

On the plus side, most employees think that spending a reasonable amount of time at work is crucial, and Gallup’s research has consistently shown that work flexibility is optimum for engaging employees and preventing burnout – both before and after the epidemic.

Nonetheless, as organizations shift and adjust to hybrid work, employees’ preferences for office hours will be a crucial measure to monitor.

(Gallup)

Suburban commuters’ transit behavior

People who reside in suburbs and commute to cities experience the highest decline in transit trips (-24%). Consequently, it is likely that respondents who have lengthier transit commutes and other local transportation options will reduce their use of public transportation the most.

People who live in suburbs and work in cities were shown to have the largest increase in working from home (an increase of 3.7 days per month per person). It appears that working from home could replace longer commutes.

According to what we overheard, respondents who reside and work in suburban areas had the least amount of change in all behavioral categories.

This means that metropolitan regions and areas nearby are where most long-term change is expected to take place.

(stantec)

Statistics for Business Leaders

Hybrid work policy decision-makers and their impact on employee engagement

Required attendance policies for hybrid workers are decided by:

• top leadership of the organization (26%)
• team managers (24%)
• work teams (13%)
• entirely on my own (37%)

The most engaging approach is the least common:

• An astounding 46% of hybrid employees are engaged at work when their team determines their hybrid work policy — despite only 13% of employees saying their team does this.
• Employee input is notoriously effective, from collaborative goal setting to innovation — and now in determining hybrid work schedules.
• The practice of asking team members to collaboratively craft their hybrid work policy is one of the most engaging single work practices Gallup has studied among employees who are returning to the office.

(Gallup)

Lots of executives believe flexible working options motivate employees

Sixty-four percent of CEOs feel that flexible work arrangements stimulate their personnel.

Flexibility and technology in the workplace are important priorities. To improve the workplace, most are considering the usage of health and wellness management applications as well as other hybrid work technologies such as digital and virtual collaboration resources.

For example, 44% of company leaders have activated or are about to activate the metaverse for social interaction, training, and/or recruiting purposes, and 62% have activated or are about to activate health and safety innovations and monitoring, such as indoor air quality, touchless offices, and so on.

(EY)

Women leaders expect more flexibility

49% of women leaders say flexibility is one of the top three things they consider when deciding whether to join or stay with a company, compared to 34% of men leaders.

Women leaders are more than 1.5x as likely as men at their level to have left a previous job because they wanted to work for a company that was more committed to DEI.

(McKinsey and LeanIn)

Additional technological transformation due to pandemic

Based on Fortune surveying CEOs of the Fortune 500, the pandemic crisis, according to 75% of respondents, will push their companies’ technology transformations forward more quickly.

(Fortune)

Top challenges executives expect to navigate

Executives are prepared for a range of employee reluctances. Top worries include worries about health and safety (40%), caregiving responsibilities (38%), and taking public transportation (20%).

(greatplacetowork)

CEO expectation on the percentage of workforce return office

Based on Fortune surveying CEOS of the 2020 fortune 500 list, 26.2 % of CEO expect the percentage of their workforce that return to their usual workplace will never reach back to 90%.

(Fortune)

CEO expectation for the benefits of return office

Collaboration (45%) and camaraderie and morale (61%) are the top two ways executives anticipate that going back to work would enhance corporate culture.

(greatplacetowork)

Workers’ willingness to pursue a hybrid working paradigm is higher among C-suite others than among employees in the United States in 2021

Office occupations have become more flexible since the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Working from home has been the norm for many, yet office spaces continue to be popular.

Employees who operate in a hybrid mode might divide their time between the workplace, home, and other locations. According to a 2021 study of 1,000 office employees and 1,000 C-suite employees in the United States, the clear majority of respondents support the hybrid approach.

Meanwhile, a larger proportion (79 percent) of C-suite personnel planned to implement the hybrid approach. According to the same study, over half of respondents would prefer to spend two to four days at work.

(Statista)

C-suite executives plan on hybrid working

In the post-pandemic future of work, nine out of ten organizations will be combining remote and on-site working.

(McKinsey – From December 2020 through January 2021, McKinsey surveyed and analyzed responses from 100 respondents at the C-suite, vice-president, and director level, evenly split among organizations based in Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the United States, and among a variety of industries. Company revenues ranged, on average, from $5.1 billion to $11.0 billion per year.)

C-suite executives’ expectations of hybrid working

The majority of CEOs anticipate that employees will be on-site between 21 and 80 percent of the time, or one to four days a week (for all roles that are not required to be performed on-site). (McKinsey)

Plan of fully remote work vs support hybrid work model

According to a recent survey, just 5% of employers see entirely remote work as a possibility in the future, while 51% prefer the mixed work style. (Intuition)

Pay adjustment for hybrid work model

Over 97 percent of firms said they will not lower compensation for workers who work from home in part. However, 21% would modify pay based on an employee’s contribution and physical location. (Intuition)

Plan to adjust investment levels in the hybrid work model

According to a recent poll, 72 percent of respondents in the United States want to invest in virtual collaboration technologies in the future to support their mixed workforce. Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Miro are examples of virtual collaboration software. These tools enable remote employees to stay connected while working from multiple places.

(Statista)

Learning Statistics in a Hybrid World

Advice offered to those selecting a remote work location

Setting limits is the most essential objective for 25% of respondents in a recent study, more than any other conceivable response. This is especially important as burnouts become more common, and balancing private and professional lives is a method to sustain mental health and productivity.

(Statista)

Acquired technologies to safeguard work communications when working from home in 2021

In 2021, 34% of Android and IOS users reported purchasing a WiFi router to safeguard work communications while working from home during the pandemic. Virtual private networks came in second. Mobile applications and mobile device management software are two more technologies utilized for this purpose.

(Statista)

The willingness to Online Learning

57 percent of today’s learning and development professionals anticipate increasing their spending on online learning in the near future.
In a hybrid environment, online learning is frequently given via mobile, with 70 percent of modern-day firms delivering courses via this media.

(Intuition)

Health and Wellness Statistics

One thousand full-time employees were sampled for Ergotron research. It was discovered that the hybrid workplace model has given employees the power to recover their physical health, and they are also experiencing benefits for their mental health as workers become more accustomed to hybrid and remote office environments since the start of Covid-19.

Overall, 56% of workers mentioned increased physical exercise, better work-life balance, and improved mental health.

(Ergotron)

Work-life balance 

During the pandemic, 20% of worldwide employees asked stated their supervisor had ceased caring about their work-life balance, leaving 54 percent overworked and 39 percent absolutely fatigued.

(Intuition)

Productivity

As the hybrid workplace emerges, 40% of individuals feel they can be productive and healthy from anywhere – whether entirely remote, onsite, or a mix of the two.

(Intuition)

Remote employees worked 1.4 more days per month, or 16.8 more days per year, on average than those who worked in an office. And they spent more time getting things done on those workdays.

While office workers reported losing an average of 37 minutes per workday to distractions (excluding lunch and standard breaks), remote employees only lost 27 minutes per workday. While remote workers did take more official breaks than office workers, evidence shows that taking breaks leads to higher rates of productivity.

There were only minor differences in the ability to concentrate or focus in and out of the office: 8% of remote workers reported difficulty focusing, compared to 6% of office workers.

Micromanagement, on the other hand, had a significant impact. When employees’ screen and/or mouse time was tracked, 39% of remote employees and 56% of office employees found ways to avoid working. They didn’t always get away with it: 51% of remote employees and 44% of office employees were caught.

(Airtasker)

On the other hand, 66% of managers reported greater productivity, with 48.5% reporting that productivity has ‘significantly improved.’ Only 2% experienced a decline in productivity.

Managers said that their personal productivity has increased (38%) but not reduced (96%).

(FlexOS)

Mental health support

Employee burnout is now a serious problem, with 75% of workers in recent research wishing their workplace provided some type of mental health assistance.

(Intuition)

Feared being surveilled

According to a Capgemini analysis on the future of remote working, around 66 percent of employees in the United States worried about being surveilled by the use of technology when remote working in 2020, which is higher than the global average of 59 percent.

(Capgemini)

Struggles with working remotely

In 2022, 25% of respondents stated that the most difficult aspect of working remotely was not being able to unplug. Because many individuals who work from home do not have a distinct office, they have a conflation of their living environment and workplace. However, more than one-third of respondents said they had no difficulties working remotely.

As a result, remote working professionals underline the significance of developing techniques to balance their personal and professional life. On the other hand, employees report fewer challenges with teamwork and communication in 2021.

This is most likely owing to the rapid development of skills during the 2020 pandemic, which allows them to successfully communicate and interact with others while working from different locations.

(Statista)

Terms you should know

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

DEI stands for diversity, equity and inclusion.

As a discipline, DEI is any policy or practice designed to make people of various backgrounds feel welcome and ensure they have support to perform to the fullest of their abilities in the workplace. 

Diversity refers to the presence of differences within a given setting; in the workplace, that may mean differences in race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, and socioeconomic background. 

Equity is the act of ensuring that processes and programs are impartial, fair and provide equal possible outcomes for every individual. 

Inclusion is the practice of making people feel a sense of belonging at work.

(builtin)

Digital nomad

A digital nomad is a person who has the freedom to work from anywhere in the world as long as they have an internet connection and a laptop or mobile device.

Digital nomads leverage technology to create a location-independent lifestyle, allowing them to travel and work remotely. This lifestyle can involve working from home, coffee shops, co-working spaces, or even exotic locations abroad.

Digital nomads are often freelancers, entrepreneurs, or employees of companies that allow remote work. They may work in a variety of fields, such as writing, programming, design, or consulting.

The rise of digital nomadism has been facilitated by the increasing availability of digital tools that enable remote work, as well as the growing popularity of the gig economy.

Many people are drawn to the digital nomad lifestyle for its flexibility, adventure, and opportunities for personal growth. Digital nomads can experience different cultures, meet new people, and have unique experiences while maintaining their careers.

They also have the ability to work on their own terms, choose their own projects, and have more control over their work-life balance.

Further reading on Hybrid working

Treating Remote Employees Fairly in a Hybrid Workplace (by Toptal)

Learn more about productivity in the hybrid working era: https://ones.software/blog/?s=Productivity+

Develop your own hybrid office with our smart office system: https://ones.software/

The post Every C-Suite and Professional Should Know About Hybrid Working Stats in 2023 first appeared on ONEs Blog.

This article will show what business leaders must recognize how, when, and where we work are no longer constrained by traditional notions of time and space in this new hybrid working era.

“In Singapore,” said Joanna Lim, Modern Work and Security Business Group Lead, Microsoft Singapore, “we recently moved from being allowed to return to the workplace, back to where working from home is once again our default.

As businesses adapt to the disruptive change, business leaders must recognize that long-held assumptions no longer hold true with their employees. They must now make choices that will impact their organizations for years to come.

 Joanna Lim, Modern Work and Security Business Group Lead, Microsoft Singapore

What is Hybrid work?

Hybrid work is an approach that takes into account the individual’s needs, whether they’re at home or at the office. Our platform enables people to work from any location, and move between sites as needed.

Many organizations see hybrid work as the evolution of remote working, allowing employers to better integrate remote working into overall business processes while providing comparable work experience for remote workers.

In the report “Making Flexible Work, Work: Towards Better and More Inclusive
Work-Life Practices” from Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei Darussalam, there are several nice definitions for flexible working terms:

Work-Life Practices (WLPs)

Various forms of support for work-life integration, including leave, support networks, facilities, etc. This includes Flexible Work Arrangements.

Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs)

Flexibility in the time and location of work. This includes Work From Home arrangements.

These arrangements aim to provide greater flexibility
in the following areas: the workplace, scheduling of hours worked, number of
hours worked and flexibility of job roles.

The top FWAs in the Life at Work Survey were:

1. Flexi Hours (48%)
2. Leaving Early From Work (34%)
3. Staggered Hours (22%)
4. Job Sharing (19%)
5. Work-From-Home/Telecommuting (16%)

Work-From-Home (WFH)

A subset of FWAs, in which employees may work remotely some or all of the time

Learn more:

Post-MCO Safety Guidelines Info Page

How can hybrid working help Singaporeans and their companies save their daily expenses now? 

20+ Questions for your Hybrid Working Employee Survey

Why Hybrid Working is the winner in the APAC region? Experts explain.

Hybrid work is preferred across ASEAN markets

The Cisco study highlighted that hybrid work is now preferred by many employees across ASEAN markets:

• Singapore – 71%
• Malaysia – 74%
• Indonesia – 84%
• Vietnam – 76%
• Thailand – 69%
• The Philippines – 60%

The support for hybrid work extends beyond employees as well — with 90% of employees saying their employers have been supportive of hybrid working. In particular, 46% said their employers have been supportive, while 44% said their employers have been very supportive.

(Cisco)

Who is implementing hybrid working in Singapore?

Beyond the COVID-19 epidemic, the banking industry in Singapore, for example, is implementing flexi-work as a permanent component, although the hybrid model implemented by each bank differs.

UOB, for example, has implemented a two-day work-from-home policy, allowing workers to organize their work depending on where they can be most efficient.

Similarly, DBS allows employees to work remotely up to 40% of the time and plans to launch a Living Lab that combines physical and virtual workspace configurations to facilitate discussions and cross-team collaborations.

HSBC, on the other hand, has three work arrangements based on job roles: office workers are permanently office-based due to compliance reasons or the need to be client-facing, flexible office workers are primarily office-based and may work from home one to two days per week, and flexible home workers have a fixed schedule that includes at least 50% work-from-home time.

Citi intends to offer its global workforce a new work model that provides consistency, permanency, and flexibility. The new work model will classify staff into three globally consistent role designations, helping identify the best model of flexibility and helping them achieve better work and life balance.   

Under the new model, employees worldwide are divided into three globally consistent role designations. The new work model applies to Citi’s 8,500 employees in Singapore. 

Global communications agency Redhill decided to move its new global headquarters to Singapore Tanjong Pagar on September 2022. Up to 150 employees can work in the new 5,000-square-foot area in Tanjong Pagar, which is intended for hot desking.

Timeline of Singapore Workplace Requirements in Response to Covid-19

Work-from-home is no longer the default in Singapore from Jan 1, 2022, and a higher focus on Workplace Strategy is expected as more people return to the office.

While new Covid-19 variations are possible hazards that might hinder the return to work, the degree of concern is low. Disruptions are anticipated to be less severe in 2022 than they were in the early days of the epidemic.

With nearly two years into the pandemic, Singapore is now better prepared to respond effectively. Even when new Covid-19 types develop, pandemic efforts may become more focused and subtle in the future. This is backed up by the high immunization rate.

As of 10 January 2022, approximately 87% of Singapore’s population had been fully vaccinated, a significant improvement from early April 2021, when less than 10% of the population had been fully vaccinated.

As a result, firms will be more confident in expanding their office footprint as the economy recovers.

(Cushman & Wakefield)

General hybrid working data

Singapore’s CBD Grade A office

According to Savills research, the vacancy level of Grade A office space in the city-central state’s business area (CBD) in Singapore continues to decline for the second consecutive quarter.

The vacancy rate of such office properties fell by 1.2 percentage points quarter on quarter in Q3 2022, to 5.6 percent, following a 0.4 percentage point drop in the previous three months.

According to Savills, the decrease in vacancy levels was seen across all three grades of office buildings, particularly in Grade AA offices, where the vacancy rate fell by 2.4 percentage points on a quarterly basis.

The office submarkets of Orchard Road and Marina Bay, in particular, had the lowest office vacancy rates of 1.7 percent and 2.4 percent, respectively.

(Savills)

According to JLL, it only took 18 months for Singapore’s CBD Grade A office rentals to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the real estate consultancy’s research, the gross effective rent for CBD Grade A office space increased 2.9% year on year to SGD 11.06 per sq ft per month in 3Q22, up from SGD 10.74 per sq ft per month in 2Q22. This has surpassed the pre-pandemic peak of SGD 10.81 psf per month recorded in 4Q19 and is the highest since SGD 12.55 in 4Q08.

(JLL)

Future Sources of Office Demand

Technology and financial occupiers will continue to be the major sources of office demand in 2022 as they expand headcounts amidst an economic recovery. Technology and finance occupiers drove about 65% of new leases within the CBD in 2021 .

On the other hand, co-working operators (real estate), once a major driver of CBD office demand, have slowed their expansion spree since the pandemic struck, albeit continuingly picking up pockets of space.

Some co-working operators are evolving their business models to an asset light strategy, preferring management agreements from direct leases of space.

Given occupiers increased demand for flexibility and flex space, co-working demand is still expected to expand albeit at a more measured pace.

(Cushman & Wakefield)

Proportion of workers in the resident labor force who WFH due to the COVID-19 situation

As the global Covid-19 situation worsened in 2020, businesses adopted a new mode of operation, allowing their employees to work from home (WFH). Singapore is no exception, with 49 percent of employed residents working remotely by 2020.

This resulted in one of the highest proportions of resident employees working remotely when compared to other European Union (EU) member states such as Belgium and Finland, where more than half of employed residents worked remotely. ( Labour Force in Singapore 2020 edition: Impact of COVID-19 on the Labour Market​ )

Work-from-home is no longer the default in Singapore

When will work from home end in Singapore?

From Jan 1, Work-from-home is no longer the default in Singapore from Jan 1, 2022.

50 percent of employees who can work from home will be allowed to return to the office, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Tuesday (Dec 14, 2021). (channelnewsasia)

Singapore employee data

Flexible work is here to stay in Singapore

More than 82 percent of Singapore workers want flexible remote work options to stay, but 66 percent want more face-to-face time with their teams.

(Microsoft)

The majority of workers in ASEAN (72%) choose a hybrid working style that combines in-office and remote work, as opposed to a totally remote (23%) or in-office (5%) experience, indicating that workers are aware that the future of work will be hybrid.

Similar results were found in Singapore, where respondents preferred a hybrid of a remote and in-office working paradigm to a wholly remote (25%) or fully in-office (4%) experience in the future.

(Cisco Global Hybrid Work Study 2022)

By Logitech’s report, 63% of respondents said they preferred hybrid work arrangements, while 25% would opt for fully remote work practices and 9% wanted everyone to be back in the office. 

(Logitech)

Flexible work retains Singapore talent

Over 50% of Singapore workers surveyed said they would consider leaving their jobs if asked to return full-time to the workplace.

(People at Work 2022: A Global Workforce View)

Also, based on the IPS study that asking if they would consider looking for another job if their employer requires them to return to the office on most days, 37 percent of respondents faced with this prospect said that they would consider looking for another job during the period between Dec 28 last year and Feb 22.

But among those surveyed from March 18 to April 11, when there was a further relaxation of Covid-19 measures, this figure grew to 42 percent.

(todayonline)

People with caregiver duties prefer flexible work arrangements

Respondents with aged persons at home were more likely to feel that flexible work arrangements should be the new norm for workplaces (52%) as compared to those with children (44%) or those with both children and aged persons at home (37%).

Those with children at home were more likely to feel that working from home on most days should be the new norm at workplaces (28%) compared to those with aged persons (22%) or those with both aged persons and children at home (25%)

However, more respondents with both children and aged persons at home also feel that working from the office on most days should be the new norm for workplaces (38%) as compared to respondents with children (28%) or respondents with aged persons at home (26%).

(todayonline)

Preference for remote work and hybrid work in Singapore

The ability to work remotely appears to be the most popular option among Singapore employees, with the majority (78 percent) preferring a hybrid schedule.

Employees are far less enthusiastic about committing to a single environment: only 12% prefer working from the office all the time, and 10% prefer working remotely full-time. (Milieu Insight)

Unalignment between leader and workers in Singapore

According to research, 51 percent of Singaporean leaders are thriving right now, while only 27 percent of employees (without decision-making power) are. (Microsoft)

Singapore Gen Z is exhausted

Gen Z (aged 18 to 25) is particularly vulnerable, as more than 70% of this generation in Singapore believes they are merely surviving or struggling. (Microsoft)

Workers in ASEAN report productivity improvement

In ASEAN, 64% of workers reported an increase in productivity, and 65% of employees felt that working hybrid had improved the quality of their work. The same number of respondents (66%) also mentioned improvements in professional knowledge and abilities.

Particularly in Singapore, the figures were a little lower:

1. Employees feel that their work quality has increased, according to 56% of them.
2. 60% think productivity has increased.
   
   While 76% of employees in Singapore agreed, over 75% of employees in ASEAN thought that their role can now be completed as successfully from home as it can in the office.
   
   (Cisco Global Hybrid Work Study 2022)

Employees believe hybrid work can save their time

One of the advantages noted is that hybrid work gives workers their time back; 73% of ASEAN respondents reported saving more than four hours per week as a result. Even more, 32% managed to save more than eight hours. 65% of people were able to reinvest the extra time by spending it with their family, friends, and pets thanks to the time saved on reduced or no commuting, and impromptu office contacts.

In Singapore, the figures stayed largely the same, with 70% saving over four hours and 28% saving over eight.

(Cisco Global Hybrid Work Study 2022)

Employees believe hybrid work can improve social and physical wellbeing

When it comes to the social side, 86% of ASEAN respondents reported better relations with family, while 55% reported better contact with friends. (74%, 50%, Singapore).

In terms of health, 77% of ASEAN citizens reported eating healthier, 79% reported exercising more, and 78% reported being physically fitter. 72% of Singaporeans agreed to believe that their physical fitness had improved, following a similar trend.

(Cisco Global Hybrid Work Study 2022)

Employees believe hybrid work can save their money

In terms of money, 86% of workers in ASEAN reported saving money, with an average saving of over US$7,462.52 per year, or US$143.51 per week. This roughly equated to an increase in savings of 14.5%.

The top three places to make savings were specifically:

• Commuting costs (88%)
• Food and entertainment (75%)
• Lifestyle and social activities (60%)

(Cisco Global Hybrid Work Study 2022)

A study by the Institute of Policy Studies in Singapore found that Singaporeans thought flex-work benefits save on daily expenses. The reasons are as follows:

1. Reduce the chance of getting Covid-19: Preventing paying medical expenses; (87%)
2. Greater Flexibility in incorporating personal life needs with work schedules (83%)
3. Less money and time spent on commuting: Allowing staff to work at home. (78%)
4. Less need to dress for work: No need to go back to the office for work.   (75%)

(Institute of Policy Studies)

Reasons why Singaporeans choose remote office

In addition to saving time and money on commuting to and from work, those on hybrid work arrangements cited improved work-life balance and a less stressful working environment as benefits of working from home.

Those currently working in a hybrid work arrangement appear to have a higher quality of life because they have more time and fewer office stressors. (Milieu Insight)

Reasons why Singaporeans choose to work at office/client location

Admins wanted to understand employees’ primary motivation(s) for going to work with the hybrid model designed for flexibility of working remotely while still offering structure, stability, and social benefits.

According to the survey of Milieu Insight, employees are motivated to come to work to meet with their teams and colleagues for collective work, brainstorming sessions, building connections, and other social rituals.

To be truly successful with a hybrid work arrangement, businesses should consider transforming their offices to accommodate what these spaces will actually be used for – for employees to innovate, collaborate, and connect. (Milieu Insight)

Crucial digital transformation strategy

According to 72% of workers, one crucial transformation strategy is to expand the function of human resources to encompass comprehensive hybrid rules and guidelines. This may involve influencing an organization’s productivity measurement system, like Microsoft Viva.

(Telstra)

Singapore employer data

Top 3 ICT spend by Singapore companies

The top 3 information and communications technology (ICT) spent by Singapore market are:

1. Data and analytics to measure productivity
2. Cloud infrastructure and services
3. Internet of Things

(Telstra)

How employers in Singapore are approaching hybrid work

Employers in Singapore expect the majority of their workforce to work remotely in Q1 2022, with the exception of those in production/manufacturing and frontline sales/front office/customer-facing roles, where 45 percent and 29 percent of employers expect their employees to work in the workplace all the time, respectively.

In terms of human resources, 24% of employers polled said they would expect their HR teams to work remotely all the time, while 65% expected a hybrid arrangement (25 percent indicated working remotely twice or more a week, 40% indicated thrice or more), and 8% expected HR to work in the workplace all the time. (ManpowerGroup)

Optimizing Hybrid Work with New Technology

A majority of APAC leaders and employees (70%) saw a progressive change with clear guidelines to achieve full hybrid policies.

Currently, organizations were measuring productivity by setting goals for communication frequently (57%), using tools for teamwork and collaboration (56%), and the output based on the work completed (50%).

For future productivity strategies, organizations indicated that they would look toward future-focused goals (66%), consistent policy on performance rating (58%), and updated performance indicators (53%).

(Telstra)

Redesign office for hybrid working

62% of business leaders are more likely to redesign office space to accommodate hybrid work.

(Microsoft)

More information for hybrid working

Businesses General Requirements in Singapore

https://www.gobusiness.gov.sg/safemanagement/general/

FAQs on Safe Management Measures at the workplace

https://www.mom.gov.sg/covid-19/frequently-asked-questions/safe-management-measures

ONES All-in-one smart office system

ONES Software now has a dedicated page to introduce a series of hybrid working measures to help you solve problems. You may wish to go to https://ones.software/sg/hybrid-workspace/ for further reference.  

Contact us: hello@ones.software, or visit ONEs Software official website for more information: https://ones.software/. 

The post Latest hybrid work trends in Singapore a business leader needs to know in 2023 and onward first appeared on ONEs Blog.