The advantages of hybrid work models are extensive, especially considering the recent increase in employee safety concerns. Employees who feel safer at work will be more dedicated to the job and more productive, in addition to being happier, healthier, and more secure.
A recent online survey of 500 Canadian workers found that people felt less safe at work due to the pandemic, and about 75% of participants reported increased anxiety and stress caused by the disease.
One economist, Jeffrey Clemens of the University of San Diego, said that Covid "broke many linkages between workers and their pre-pandemic employers" and made it "less attractive for people to be in the jobs they previously held."
In fact, studies across the globe show that workers are feeling overworked and undervalued. According to Harvard Business Review, mental health support will be a necessary component of employee-employer relationships in the future, especially after the pandemic. Hybrid work models are part of the solution in bridging the gap to making these jobs more attractive again.
But improved mental health is just one of the many advantages of a hybrid work model. It will also provide better collaboration and continuous learning opportunities, by letting employees schedule their own work outside of regular meetings, without feeling pressured or anxious.
Hybrid work models will also improve employee satisfaction and they’ve been shown to increase productivity. There might be some growing pains to tracking time and getting everyone on the same page at first, but overall, employers reported a rise in individual and team productivity, as well as employee engagement – perhaps due to the increase in focus, energy, and overall satisfaction of workers.