There’s nothing like a year away from the workplace to put things into perspective. The pandemic gave us all pause to reflect on our lives, our goals and our priorities. We reviewed how work fits into those areas. It also opened our eyes to the possibilities of remote work. Now, employers are feeling pressured to offer flexibility and hybrid working conditions in order to keep their employees happy.
So the question becomes, what can I expect from my employer? And also, what do I owe to my workplace? Finding the right work-life balance while holding up your end of the employer/employee contract can be challenging. Here are some suggestions:
What You Can Expect from Your Employer
Flexibility:
Most employers understand that things will never fully go back to normal. But the degree of flexibility varies among organisations. Most workplaces fall into one of a few different hybrid models ranging from full, discretionary remote work to an office first model. Always ask before taking a job or making assumptions.
Boundaries:
Regardless of whether you work in office or at home, you can expect your employer to respect your boundaries in terms of office hours, call times and other standards that exist in office. But how will you handle blurred or not respected boundaries?
Equity:
If you’re in an agreement that allows remote working, you should expect your employer to treat you fairly by providing you the same information and opportunity as in-office workers. Leaders are aware of the importance of fairness in the hybrid workplace. If you don’t feel you are being given everything you need to succeed and grow in your job, you need to go to your employer and provide feedback.
What You Owe Your Employer
Time:
Whatever time you’ve agreed to give to the job, you owe to your employer. If you’re a full-time employee and full-time is defined by forty hours a week, you should work these forty hours a week.
Communication:
Just because you aren’t in-office doesn’t mean you aren’t responsible for attending meetings or, if your job requires it, collaborating with team mates. Your employer should provide a virtual option for team meetings. So it’s important that you get comfortable with programs like Zoom, Google Meetings, Slack and other apps.
Meeting Objectives On Time:
If you’ve been in remote work very long, you probably know that meeting objectives isn’t a problem. In fact, working from home often allows you to focus better. However, when working from home, it can be tempting to work on your own schedule. In some cases, you owe it to your employer to work on theirs.
Hybrid work is here to stay. There’s no shame in expecting to be treated the same as you were when you were in-office, as long as you’re holding up your end of the contract.
If you’re looking for help managing your team, OLAM Group is here. We are your outsourced HR experts and can help with HR projects or ongoing services, depending on your company’s needs. Please reach out to schedule a call so we can talk about how we can help you and your company run more smoothly.