Clandestine and individual work arrangements are nothing new, but amid rigid return-to-office (RTO) mandates, a new workplace trend has emerged.
Enter, hushed hybrid.
Under this arrangement, managers quietly allow individuals and teams to maintain hybrid work schedules, despite official company policies dictating otherwise.
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This under-the-radar approach is indicative of the disconnect between top-down directives and the actual day-to-day management of effective and happy teams.
While there is an argument to be made for fairness and clarity, ultimately approaches that are one-size-fits-all have met resistance from workers who’ve grown accustomed to the flexibility and work-life balance afforded by remote work.
According to a recent study from International Workplace Group (IWG) and Mortar Research, which surveyed 1,026 workers, hybrid employees are happier, healthier, and more productive than those who work in-office every day.
Some 75% of those who work flexibly report feeling less burned out than those who only work in person. Hybrid employees also report feeling less stressed (78%), anxious (72%), and drained (79%), thanks to work-from-home arrangements.
Yet despite the well-documented benefits of remote work, many companies have remained bullheaded about full in-office attendance or stipulating a set number of days per week employees must physically be in HQ.
A new hush-hush way
Hushed hybrid provides a new way but requires discretion and trust. When it’s being implemented, line managers ignore sporadic work-from-home days or allow for flexible hours, generally in an unspoken arrangement based on mutual understanding.
Managers recognise that happy, trusted employees are more productive and less likely to look elsewhere, and they’re willing to bend the rules to help retain their teams.
Several factors have contributed to the rise of hushed hybrid, from increased mobility due to an increase in remote working opportunities, reports of better wellbeing among workers with flexible arrangements, and pandemic-time investment in remote technologies making hybrid working models easy to maintain and sustain.
However, hushed hybrid isn’t without its faults. While it can boost morale and retention among favoured employees, it can also create a two-tiered workplace where some employees or teams enjoy flexibility while others don’t. This can breed resentment and division.
Additionally, the secretive nature of these arrangements can strain relationships between management and leadership, and potentially undermine or weaken compliance with other company directives.
Thankfully, many leading companies are operating on a “don’t ask, don’t tell” basis when it comes to work location, and are even positioning themselves as remote-first in a bid to attract talent.
In many start-ups and scale-ups, founders and investors are more concerned with output and innovation than with where the work is actually done.
As the hushed hybrid trend gains momentum, it’s likely to force a broader conversation about blanket hybrid policies. Companies where hushed hybrid operates will eventually have to acknowledge and formalise these arrangements, leading to more nuanced official policies.
Ultimately, hushed hybrid is a stopgap measure, a clear indicator that the future of work is flexible, and companies need to adapt or die.
If the organisation you’re working for isn’t open to flexible working arrangements, and it really matters to you, it could be time to find something new.
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This article is part of a partnership with Amply. For partnering opportunities, contact [email protected] or [email protected].
