Introduction | Part 1 - Hybrid Working | Part 2 - Economic Outlook, Recruitment & Retention | Part 3 - ESG

Tips for avoiding pressure points:

Remote supervision

Where hybrid or remote working is implemented, ensure job descriptions are up to date and review and communicate your supervision policy to prevent performance or productivity issues arising.

Hybrid/remote principles

Avoid being too prescriptive with any hybrid or remote working policy. Aim for principles rather than contractual amendments or set requirements so that changes can be more easily made if business need dictates.

Consider ESG

Before asking staff who work remotely to commute to the office more regularly, ensure you have carefully considered your decision from an ESG perspective and have a clear business-driven rationale for why office working is required (if that is the case).

Communicate

In cases of serious understaffing, or the need to reduce overhead costs due to the recession, identify where pressures are and communicate regularly and meaningfully with staff regarding those issues and any changes that may be required to business operations.

Flexibility for all

If you are reviewing or considering implementing a hybrid working policy, do not forget about your staff who cannot work remotely; often, they expect flexibility where possible too.

Office space

If you are considering downsizing office space as a result of hybrid working, ensure the office space available aligns with your business rationale for requiring staff to attend the office i.e., there is space for teams to sit together and collaborate.

Generational differences

Gain an understanding of how different generations of your workforce best engage in a hybrid workplace and tailor your tools and technologies to entice and retain a diverse workforce.

Working Abroad

Carefully consider tax, visa and employment law implications in both the UK and abroad before permitting truly remote working.

What should be on your Board’s agenda?

The challenges of high attrition rates, paired with a hiring crisis, have been compounded by increasing inflation. At this difficult time, benefits and culture are key to recruitment and retention. Whatever your view on remote working, it is overwhelmingly the case that flexibility as to how and when one works is attractive to employees.

ESG is important to all stakeholders, including employees. A drive to net zero, a sustainable society, and the critical need for better mental and physical wellbeing have become our new axis as we rethink how we live, work, and do business. To be an employer of choice, there is a need to be creative with your ESG agendas. What type of employees do you wish to attract and how will you do that?

One of the most interesting aspects of our discussions was how frequently the themes overlapped. Hybrid working and flexibility can assist with recruitment, retention, and potentially environmental impact. Working from home can assist with the cost of living and wellbeing. Being committed to improving your ESG impact can assist with retention and recruitment. Consequently, all the themes addressed in this paper should be on your Board’s agenda.

We are on a different journey that we may have expected three years ago, but the change in direction brings with it opportunities for growth, diversification, and innovation. We are intrigued to see what the next chapter brings for the UK workforce. Currently, the largest trial of a four-day working week is underway in the UK, and whilst that may seem a shift too far to some, so did remote working three years ago. With the necessity to shrink our carbon footprint, could a four-day working week be the solution and become the new norm?

Conclusion