🔑 Major keys to hybrid work

Good Morning,

Following Zoom’s hybrid work policy announcement last week, it’s worth clarifying this point:

“Hybrid” is definitely a form of remote work. And I’m a fan. For millions of people and their employers, shifting to 100% remote would up-end the workplace connections, company operations, routines, and more that brought them joy before the pandemic.

Plus, sometimes in-person connection is irreplaceable. For those situations, providing employees an option for some remote work can be a perfect compromise.

For these reasons and more, hybrid is the #1 choice among those who have the ability to work remotely:

But here’s what I can’t stand: companies that tell employees they can be fully remote, then change the policy to require them to be in an office - often requiring geographic changes or termination as the only options.

So when I discuss hybrid work in cases like Zoom’s last week with a hint of vitriol, just know that it’s not the hybrid policy itself that’s grinding my gears, but rather the stripping of flexibility that was briefly adding more fulfillment to employees’ lives. (And Zoom employees are much more upset.)

/ end rant, and enjoy the hybrid-forward pieces this week 🙃

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🖥 Product spotlight: Twelve South’s Hi-Rise.* One of my favorite home office suppliers, Twelve South, makes aesthetic items designed to make Apple products function even better.

The HiRise product line includes adjustable monitor stands that fit in with any setup: the HiRise Pro for Mac desktops, and the HiRise for MacBooks (I bought my HiRise years ago and love it).

And if you only need a bare minimum ergonomic upgrade, the Curve SE provides an easy way to raise your laptop height for just $39.99.

❎ How can leaders avoid creating toxic hybrid environments? Researcher and consultant Mark Mortensen suggests four steps:

1. Educate employees about toxic behaviors

2. Lay a foundation of empathy

3. Have routine conversations about employee experiences

4. Intervene quickly if needed

While the benefits of hybrid are obvious, the drawbacks - feelings of inequity due to location variance - bring a new dynamic to management, and need to be addressed before they lead to a diminished culture. (Harvard Business Review)

✏️ Hybrid workers spend more time in meetings. WFH Research found hybrid workers spend about half of their days in meetings, far more than those in fully on-site or remote environments.

The reason for this is less about workplace policy and more about the types of roles that allow for remote work. Leaders and executives (who attend more meetings) are more often in hybrid roles, whereas roles with customer interaction or material management require onsite work, and those with fully remote roles - often individual contributors in the technology sector - are more likely to communicate with colleagues asynchronously. (WFH Research)

🤝 Foundational hybrid management advice from an experienced leader, Aliza Knox:

• Help employees build social connections

• Make everyone feel included

• Add more collaboration space in offices

• Offer public praise & private support.

Further, Knox says "the real challenge in keeping a hybrid workforce energized is not technological or logistical, but emotional.” (Quartz)

🇺🇸 President Biden called for federal employees to return to the office. Much like corporations, the US government is feeling the pressure of paying for unused, expensive office space. If this created a national security issue, it might be important. But if federal workers have been able to do their jobs remotely for years without any impact on their output, this seems unnecessary. (Axios)

🇦🇺 Across the world, Australian federal workers just gained full WFH rights. Melissa Donnelly led negotiations on behalf of Australia’s 120,000 federal employees.

Australia’s laws may not always transfer over to America, but I’d like to think the country that prides itself on freedom will someday soon apply that ethos to federal worker flexibility. (Reuters)

🌏 Ranked: the best international cities to live in for work-life balance. The US was excluded from the top cities in this Forbes UK (biased?!) ranking, due to low scores for minimum paid vacation, public holidays, and maternity leave.

The top 5 cities in this ranking are Copenhagen, Helsinki, Stockholm, Oslo, and Auckland. One of the ranking criteria is percentage of vacant jobs that are remote, in which Helsinki places first at 51%. (Forbes)

🚙 RTO is far more common in the Midwest. According to recent Basking.io research, Midwest office attendance has been much higher than all other geographic regions in the US. This is likely due to more stringent RTO policies, shorter office commute times, or a combination of both. (Bloomberg)

A quick salute to the remote advocates in Australia who managed to showcase the value in enabling remote work for all federal employees. When environments and policies are curated for WFH, productivity rises. Looking forward to hearing how it works for them.

Cheers, mate 🦘
Grant

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