Introduction

UK businesses adjusted quickly to keep their operations running during the first national lockdown. Businesses achieved continuity at times through simply adapting their existing technology solutions and making use of free digital services wherever possible.

But as we progress now into more permanent ways of working in a post-Covid landscape, businesses must adjust their technology stack to not only survive the new conditions, but to thrive.

What is ‘Hybrid working’?

‘Hybrid working’ describes a working environment in which an organisation’s employees split their work between office-based locations and home or other remote locations. Several publicly visible, global businesses have announced their intention to continue this indefinitely, allowing employees to work how and where they choose, including BP, Twitter, Capital One and Microsoft.

While there are many benefits, many businesses are now discovering that the transition to hybrid work isn’t without challenges. Continuing to utilise the existing technology stack that they already had in place may not be sufficient to provide a seamless experience when some employees are in the office, and some are remote.

Commercial benefits

Hybrid working presents organisations with new challenges, but it also offers them opportunities that may not have been considered viable in more traditional office-based work environments, also encouraging the adoption of cloud services as part of accelerated digital transformation projects.

Looking at it from the point of view of a business, hybrid working creates an environment in which organisations can potentially get the most out of their workforce. Every employee is working in their preferred way, in their chosen environment. What we’re seeing is businesses looking at the technology solutions they need to enable this.

From a commercial standpoint, the introduction of the cloud-based technology solutions required for effective hybrid working can actually save cost and increase efficiency if correctly implemented. Reducing on-site hardware for IT and telecommunications and switching to monthly subscription-based services will allow a transition from CapEx to OpEx, meaning no upfront expenditure and improved cashflow, while compliance, resilience and scalability are improved.

As well as the improved agility, it is possible that hybrid working can reduce costs in other ways, perhaps through a lower demand for office space, or through simplifying IT requirements for a business. While it may seem complex to have remote workers utilising cloud-based tools, often your provider should be able to provide all the necessary training for your employees, meanwhile the responsibility for hosting, servicing, and upgrading your services will also fall to the vendor.

Employee benefits

Employees of many businesses have now either worked in part or entirely from home for 12-18 months. It would be easy to assume the return to office will be painless and simple, but in some cases, workers have become used to their new routines, and the benefits brought about by working in such a way.

Saved costs, and the time gained by removing the need to commute, leading in many cases to a better work–life balance through allowing more time for family, friends, and exercise are the most tangible benefit of remote working. However, additionally, many workers cite a greater ability to focus with fewer distractions, IT upskilling and higher levels of motivation as further benefits.

A good hybrid working policy will make it seamless for employees who will likely benefit from these benefits, and for whom a role is suitable for remote work at times. However it is also essential to consider those who are keen to return to the office. Ultimately this will lead to higher levels of employee job satisfaction and reduced absence rates.

Lastly, a hybrid working policy should allow businesses attract new talent, driven to find an employer with flexible working options, or who may otherwise have been geographically unsuitable, or perhaps would not have been able to commit to a full-time commute to an office location.

Challenges to consider

While there are many benefits associated with a hybrid working policy, there are several decisions businesses need to make before implementing. These are everything from how to overcome legal and HR challenges, through to technology related considerations.

From a legal standpoint, if a business is considering formally introducing a policy, there may be contractual updates required for updated policies including, for example, managing travelling and other expenses, IT usage, homeworking, and data protection.

In more human terms there must be thought given to how new policies affect the wellbeing of the most important resource within a business – employees. It is essential that organisations build a culture that is suitable for hybrid working. Managers should develop skills to ensure effective communication, performance management, team and relationship building and collaboration in hybrid teams, while training on any new systems is essential.

With that in mind, how does your technology stack encourage relationship building and collaboration? Does your business use instant messaging or collaboration tools such as Teams to promote ‘ad-hoc’ discussion, and if so, are they setup for online meetings by default and do they also allow employees to make external phone calls from the same system? Considering a unified communications strategy could be central to ensuring many other challenges are easily overcome.

One final challenge for operating hybrid working practices is security. Once outside of a well-protected office network, and instead reliant on their own connectivity, employee devices could be vulnerable to security breaches. This can be easily overcome by implementing suitable IT and mobile policies, and with the implementation of threat defence software, but is important to consider.

Conclusion

Hybrid working can bring commercial and employee benefits when implemented well. Reduced office space and demands on IT and other services can save businesses costs, while cloud migration increases efficiency and agility. Meanwhile reduced time commuting, better work-life balance and increased flexibility can improve well-being for staff.

However, in a hybrid work environment, businesses continuing to rely on their existing technology stacks and business policies may struggle to adapt. Employees need to be able to work seamlessly between workplace and home, and there needs to be ease of connectivity between people in the office and those working remotely. Older solutions may not translate seamlessly into hybrid work environments, while business culture may need to adjust to maximise the new opportunity.

To learn more about how Burton Technologies can support a transition to hybrid working, please give us a call on 01794 377611 or contact us.

With the continuing shift towards remote working, health is an ongoing concern. Find out how to stay healthy even when you’re working from home.

The global pandemic resulted in many workplaces implementing work-from-home policies. In doing so, many of these workplaces have discovered that there are benefits to providing employees with the option of doing their work remotely.

And these benefits are pronounced.

According to a survey conducted by CoSo Cloud, 77% of people believe they are more productive when working from home. 

Another study, conducted by commercial real estate firm CBRE, suggests that up to 69% of millennials are willing to sacrifice certain workplace benefits to have more flexible working options. 

And according to video conferencing company Owl Labs, 74% of people say they’re more likely to stay with a company if they have the option of working from home.

The simple message is that working from home is likely to become the new normal in the coming years. However, working from home also presents challenges

No longer faced with the need to commute to the office, people may find that they’re less focused on their health. Some may also find they have limited access to exercise equipment or other resources that help them to stay fit.

In this article, we’ll share six tips on how you can stay healthy when working from home.

Tip #1 – Regularly Do Squats

A simple exercise, squats involve using your own weight to strengthen your lower body. 

The following are the steps for this exercise:

• Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Stretch your arms out in front of you and then sit back as though you’re sitting on a chair. Go as low as you comfortably can while keeping your back straight. Keep your hips parallel to the ground while ensuring your knees stay behind your toes.
• Stand back up into the starting position and repeat nine more times

You can use dumbbells to create further resistance if you’d like to make this exercise more challenging. However, only do so when you’re already confident in your technique without using any additional weights.

Tip #2 – Move Every Hour

It’s easy to spend too much time at the computer when you’re working from home. What’s more, you may choose to spend your breaks sitting in front of the television. This leads to long periods of sedation in which your body isn’t moving.
Sitting for several hours at a time is linked to a range of health conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. And by committing to moving for a few minutes per hour, you reduce your risk of experiencing these conditions.
Consider setting a timer to remind yourself to get up every hour. Spend a little time walking around the house or go for a quick walk around the block before resuming work.

Tip #3 – Use an Active Sitting Chair

In addition to walking every hour, there are several ways that you can stay active even when working.

For example, sitting on an exercise ball is a great way to keep your body engaged while you’re in front of a computer. The unstable nature of the ball forces you to use your core muscles to stay upright, strengthening your body in the process.

Some take this a step further and choose to work while standing. Keep in mind that while this is an effective technique, it does require you to have a desk with a suitable height that will allow you to stand while working. If your desk is too low, you may cause issues with your posture due to having to stoop constantly.

Tip #4 – Create a Stress-Free Environment

One of the best things about working from home is that you have complete control over your environment. Use this to your advantage by creating an environment that allows you to tackle stress.

For example, placing scented candles around your desk creates a more relaxed environment. So, too, does ensuring you have plenty of plants in your home office. Working near a window also helps to reduce stress, as having a view of nature can prove soothing.

Tip #5 – Do Jumping Jacks

An exercise that most people are familiar with thanks to school gym sessions, jumping jacks elevate your heart rate and work your entire body.

The exercise is simple:

• Stand perfectly straight, holding your arms to your side and keeping your knees together.
• Bend your knees slightly before jumping into a stance where your feet are shoulder-width apart and your arms are extended above your head.
• When landing, return to the standing position and repeat the exercise at least nine more times.

Jumping jacks allow you to improve your cardiovascular conditioning without requiring a lot of room. You can also add resistance using free weights, although this should only be done when you’ve mastered the technique.

Tip #6 – Stock Healthy Snacks in your Kitchen

The kitchen is only a short walk away when you’re working from home. Unfortunately, this also means that it’s very easy to access sugary snacks at any point. 

The solution is to eliminate unhealthy snacks from the kitchen. Instead, stock the kitchen with fruits and healthy snacks. 

Make these healthier options visible by placing them on the counter while hiding the unhealthy snacks in the cupboards. This ensures your healthy snacks act as a visual reminder to stick with the foods that are good for your body.

Your Health is a Priority

While working from home offers a range of benefits in terms of flexibility, productivity, and work/life balance, it can also lead to a more sedentary working environment. Overcoming this requires you to come up with ways to keep your body active, even when you’re spending long hours sitting in front of a computer.

The six tips shared in this article will help you do just that. And best of all, none of them require you to buy expensive exercise equipment. Now, there are many more challenges related to remote work that both employees and businesses need to stay on top of. If you need any help creating the most effective remote work environments possible, schedule a 15-minute no-obligation conversation with our team today.

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This Article has been Republished with Permission from The Technology Press.