Hybrid versus 100% remote working

[dsc]

I read that.

Who ran the survey?

I have a sibling who has been working remotely in a permie job for 13 years for a large company. In fact thinking about it my first hybrid contract was in 2008. After that lots of companies regardless of size have done hybrid working to save money on office space.

I remember one large multinational I was doing a contract for pre-Covid tried to mandate all contractors worked hybrid and only came in about once a month. Lots of the contractors complained simply as they didn't have a place at home to work in.

Not sure tbh, also not sure how big the companies were, so might be completely made up, but kind of lines up with what is happening already. I know loads of people who've been remote for years, even before Covid hit, typically they have a flexible arrangement where they can choose to come in or be fully remote. All IT / engineering mind you, no idea how things are in other industries.

[JustKeepSwimming]

I read that.

Who ran the survey?

KPMG CEO outlook survey.

In addition, the survey showed an overwhelming majority (87%) of global leaders, and 83% of UK executives, believed that financial rewards and promotion opportunities could be linked in future to office attendance.

I find this particularly amusing as IME promotion is near non existent in the UK. The days of starting on the counter at a bank and then ending up as senior manager at the end of your career is long dead.

[northernladuk]

Not sure tbh, also not sure how big the companies were, so might be completely made up, but kind of lines up with what is happening already. I know loads of people who've been remote for years, even before Covid hit, typically they have a flexible arrangement where they can choose to come in or be fully remote. All IT / engineering mind you, no idea how things are in other industries.

Problem, again, is the scope of roles in a company. You talk about about IT/Engineering but it doesn't really matter. Every company will have a similar set of people, HR, security whathave you that aren't doing the main role of the company and then there is the doers that deliver the main product of that company. If you have a policy it's going to be very difficult to allow some to work remote and not others and keep the cogs going. The surveys are talking about the whole company so are going to be a sledgehammer policy. Yes the high end professionals would probably suit a hybrid role but much of the churn towards the bottom just aren't productive so in the office they go.

Once they've implemented these policies it would be interesting to see how many people get dispensation or different working arrangements. I'm sure there will be loads but the baseline policy will be in the office. I have to admit I pity the people making these descitions and also the people implementing them. There is no right answer and a lot of people are going to be unhappy whatever they do.

[PCTNN]

If you have a policy it's going to be very difficult to allow some to work remote and not others and keep the cogs going.

I know of some companies having a very loosely worded "flexible working" policy at company level, with departments in charge of making their own decisions. So, for example at my client in the public sector, my department wants us to go in one day a month (not enforced yet), while a friend of mine working at the same client but in a different department, has to go in 3 days a week. Not everyone will be happy but that's normal...you can't make everyone happy.

I've seen it work both in public and private sector.

[JustKeepSwimming]

I know of some companies having a very loosely worded "flexible working" policy at company level, with departments in charge of making their own decisions. So, for example at my client in the public sector, my department wants us to go in one day a month (not enforced yet), while a friend of mine working at the same client but in a different department, has to go in 3 days a week. Not everyone will be happy but that's normal...you can't make everyone happy.

I've seen it work both in public and private sector.

This has been my experience. Company wide guidelines and then department head may set their own guidelines and the team managers setting their own too. Highest rank that puts theirs in stone tends to be what is done.

I can imagine it getting flagged in employee surveys they do.