After 'intense uncertainty', employers appear to have settled on their approach to working from home, a new report shows
Work arrangements in Australia appear to be settling down as the majority of employers indicate that they have no plans to change their policies on employees coming into the office.
New data from human resource consulting and staffing firm Robert Half data revealed that 74% of employers do not plan to adjust the number of days employees are required to work in the office or at home.
This includes 46% of employers allowing hybrid work, and 28% who are requiring staff to be in the office five days a week.
The period of intense uncertainty and constant change around office mandates has settled for the vast majority of businesses, said Andrew Brushfield, director at Robert Half, in a statement.
Maintaining their current stance suggests a market that has found its equilibrium.
There are 15% of employers who said they plan to increase the mandated number of in-office days in the next 12 months, including one per cent that is considering a five-day office return.
A further nine per cent of employers are also planning to decrease office days and offer more flexibility to employees.
Benefits of hybrid work
The findings come as major companies across the world mandate more office days for employees years after introducing work from home during the pandemic.
But hybrid work remains the popular choice in Australia, according to the Robert Half report, as 71% of all surveyed employers plan to continue allowing staff to work from home in some capacity in the next 12 months.
One of the top benefits they cited for offering hybrid work is employee satisfaction and wellbeing (50%). Other benefits they cited are:
Increased productivity (45%)
Employee attraction (41%)
Employee retention (41%)
Reduced operational costs (30%)
Supporting inclusivity (34%)
Hybrid work has already been ruled out by the Productivity Commission as the reason for the decline in Australia's productivity since the pandemic.
There is no evidence to suggest that the trend towards hybrid working has contributed to the productivity loss phase of the productivity bubble, the commission previously said.
However, productivity remains the top reason why the remaining 29% of employers in Australia are planning to introduce or maintain a five-day office return policy.
Nearly half (45%) of them said that employees are more productive in the office, while another 39% said five-day onsite work improves communication. Other reasons they cited are:
Strengthening company culture (37%)
Enhanced in-person collaboration (35%)
Improved supervision, management, and oversight (27%)
Maximising office investment (24%)
Improved employee experience (22%)
The most successful companies will be the ones with a clear understanding of what drives their specific business's productivity, rather than following the trend, Brushfield said.
However, depending on the company's operations, role specifics, and industry, employers should view hybrid work not as a barrier, but as an opportunity to build a robust culture that thrives regardless of employees' physical location.
https://www.hcamag.com/au/specialisation/benefits/hybrid-work-the-new-normal-as-employers-settle-on-policies/549085
