How much washing you can actually do? I ask the question because of the phrase I kept hearing in the context of working from home: the ‘freedom’ to put a wash on. I’m not underplaying the benefits of home-work (if indeed this is one) but it made me reflect on the impact of hybrid on the experience of work…and indeed our lives. And think about what the future holds as the lines between work and home become increasingly blurred.
Just over 3 years ago, Boris Johnston made his announcement that the country would go into lockdown. A term that was initially hard to make sense of but along with furlough, bubbles and Plan B became part of our everyday language and reality. In the scramble to pack our workspaces into our kitchens, bedrooms and living rooms initial focus was on IT systems, connectivity and keeping a show on the road. Three years down the line, with the tools for the job largely in place, this sticking plaster has become a way of life, creating opportunities for new ways of working and living.
Last year’s evaluation of hybrid working (https://www.bath.ac.uk/topics/future-ways-of-working-for-professional-services-staff/) showed an appreciation of this new way of being and for many bringing benefits beyond this gift of co-location with your washing machine.
Productivity, wellbeing and a sense of satisfaction in how work was done were all cited as winners in the new hybrid era. Underpinning all of this was a sense of choice; a sense of choice in how we manage and balance our work within the very busy lives that we have created; important for both personal wellbeing and being fully present in the work we do.
One year on, we continue with our review of hybrid; how is it working, what are the issues, how can we improve it, what does the future look like? Not just from the perspective of those working hybrid, but from those receiving a hybrid service, from staff who are campus-based, from new starters…
This matters because it will help to shape and inform how we can do hybrid better. It feels like a once in a lifetime opportunity to re-think our working lives. And while not everyone can benefit from this style of work, it creates a conversation that others can take hold of.
We’d love to hear your story as part of the evaluation ’23, please do get in touch and share your comments.
Deborah Griffin, Learning & Organisational Development Manager, Workforce Development, Human Resources
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