Hybrid working
The UK Government is seeking to introduce the right to "switch off", which will allow workers to disconnect from work and not be contacted by their employer outside working hours. Labour has indicated that it intends to follow the models in Ireland and Belgium but with the details of the legislation still unclear, what clues can employers glean from these and other countries' approaches to the right to disconnect?
Director of Epic HR Gary Cookson recently delivered a webinar for XpertHR entitled Hybrid working - How to personalise the employee experience. During the session, he asked attendees a number of questions about the realities of the new post-Covid world, which is increasingly characterised by hybrid working arrangements.
While many employers have now implemented a hybrid working model, challenges remain to ensure that hybrid working arrangements run smoothly. XpertHR consultant editor Darren Newman answers some of the most common legal and practical questions that hybrid working organisations have been asking us.
Employers that are operating under a hybrid working model must ensure that their sickness absence management procedures sit comfortably alongside their new working arrangements. We set out five steps that hybrid working organisations can take to ensure that sickness absence management continues to be effective.
Many employers that have introduced hybrid working arrangements are finding that employees who have worked remotely from overseas want to continue to do so. Employers may therefore have additional considerations when formulating any hybrid and return-to-work policies.
Employers that are operating under a hybrid working model must ensure that their working arrangements are inclusive, including making reasonable adjustments to the model for disabled workers. We set out six examples of potential reasonable adjustments for hybrid workers.
The pandemic has generated a greater appetite among employees for remote and/or hybrid working patterns. Consultant editor Darren Newman explores how employers can strike a balance between advocating a physical return to the workplace and satisfying staff who are pushing to spend more time working from home.
Hybrid meetings, where some participants are present and others join remotely, are now a fact of life in many workplaces. What can you do to ensure that hybrid meetings are effective?
After 18 or more months of employees working at home, XpertHR research finds that the introduction of hybrid working is revealing challenges around collaboration, consistency, engagement, wellbeing and - in some cases - how to manage those who remain reluctant to return to the workplace, even on a hybrid basis.
It is good practice for employers to run a trial period before committing to the hybrid working model. A trial period gives them the chance to identify any issues and assess whether individual employees, roles or teams are suited to this new way of working. Stephen Simpson considers how employers can operate an effective hybrid working trial period.
Commentary and insights: HR and legal information and guidance relating to hybrid working.