All employees globally have been forced to adapt to the “new normal” after the Covid-19 Pandemic shook the world in 2020. Most businesses are adapting to a hybrid work setting, which is characterised by part-remote, part-office schedules. At the end of the global pandemic, we will likely start seeing a new world, with new social norms with far-reaching social and economic destruction. Thus, it is expected that employees worldwide can have various negative psychological consequences from the “new normal” work arrangements.
Most employees are excited to start the new working arrangements of working half the week in the office, and the other half of the week working from home. Employees who were caught in traffic just to get to and from work every day of the week, before the pandemic, may initially think hybrid working is an exciting new work schedule with employees being more in control of their work lives. However, after months of most employees working according to the new hybrid model, some issues came to the fore. A recent study conducted by BBC world found that some employees are now developing negative emotions towards hybrid working. This includes:
- Feeling negative about having two workplaces to maintain (home and office space)
- Struggling to cope with work and home responsibilities
- Adjusting to a change in work setting constantly
- Feelings of not being settled at one workspace
- Feeling emotionally drained
The sudden changes to hybrid working conditions have left employees unprepared for the demands of juggling between working in the office to working from home. Instead of embracing the advantages of both working locations, employees are experiencing increased stress and exhaustion struggling to cope with the changes.
The aspects of the hybrid working arrangements that cause burnout in employees include:
- The hybrid working arrangement has negative psychological effects on employees due to the increased hours spent on work which result in increased levels of burnout among employees.
- Another problem experienced with the new hybrid working arrangement is that employees are feeling much more disconnected than before, despite the increase in connectivity tools.
- Employees are facing “meeting overload” due to employers creating online team meetings to collaborate as a team while working from home. This causes fatigue among employees as they constantly must attend meetings and cannot get their individual work done.
- Employees are experiencing increased anxiety due to not being properly informed around the details of the new hybrid working arrangements.
- Leaders need to know how to promote and nurture strong employee morale, culture and well-being as employees are feeling increasingly disconnected from their colleagues.
What can employers do to reduce the negative emotional effects of Hybrid working on employees?
- With the current hybrid working arrangements, organisations should focus on leadership development such as coaching to aid the leaders to listen to their employees, motivate them to stay engaged and create a positive work culture.
- Employers should communicate the detailed hybrid working plan to reduce employees’ anxiety and provide a competitive advantage over those organisations that fail to communicate their vision of hybrid working to their staff.
- Organisations should ensure they are setting boundaries regarding working hours to ensure employees have a work-life balance. Implementing a hybrid work policy that discourages emails and cell phone use after office hours, will create more balance for employees.
- Employers should trust employees more to get their tasks done during hybrid working. Therefore, reduce the number of online meetings and rather focus on the output that the employees are delivering instead of checking up on them via these meetings.
- Understand that employees might experience discomfort adjusting to the hybrid working arrangements. Some employees might struggle to move their family responsibilities around when returning to the office at first, and some might want to engage in more casual conversations with colleagues. Accept that there will be a minor productivity dip in the short term and be understanding of this as it will soon settle, and productivity levels will increase as employees get used to the “new normal”.
What can employees do to reduce the negative emotional effects of Hybrid working on their well-being?
- Replicate your work office at home if possible. Making the two environments look very similar, will reduce the anxiety of working in two different environments.
- Try to keep a consistent schedule when working remotely and working in the office. On the days you are working at home, take the time usually dedicated to commuting, towards activities that are pleasurable to you.
- Stay connected with your co-workers on days you are working from home through your company’s online platforms. On days you are in the office, make the most of the time with colleagues and enjoy your lunchtime with your co-workers.
At The David Legacy we take these challenges into consideration and provide services such as workshops for team development and leadership development, as well as coaching services tailored to your company’s needs to help you with transitioning effectively to the “new normal”. Visit our website to find out more about the services we offer
https://www.thedavidlegacy.co.za
REFERENCES:
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220120-why-hybrid-work-is-emotionally-exhausting
https://reba.global/content/how-to-manage-the-psychological-load-of-hybrid-working
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/productivity-tips-for-hybrid-work
Kaushik, M., & Guleria, N. (2020). The Impact of Pandemic COVID -19 in Workplace. European Journal Of Business And Management, 12(15), 9-18.
