Unlocking Hybrid Work: Weekly Reading [2/15/21]
Hybrid work is coming fast and the information is flying. New statistics, insights, and company updates are being published daily. Each week, we’ll summarize this into an easy to digest, summarized reading list to help you keep up with the most important news and trends for the hybrid workforce and related areas.
Timelines, Insights, & Planning
What to consider when moving to a hybrid work model [via SHRM]. Roy Maurer from SHRM talks about being mindful of engagement, productivity, and balance in preparing to establish a hybrid work model.
The U.S. vaccine rollout is speeding up, but what will be the impact? [via Time]. Supply and distribution have picked up in the first month of the Biden administration. But it’s still too early to tell if it’s enough to get us back to normal.
Related: Biden declares there will be enough vaccines for 300M Americans by July.
Mid-size companies and the post-pandemic future [from the Harvard Business Review]. Real estate costs and employee preferences are top of mind in preparing for a post-COVID future. But they might overlook the more important questions of organizational design. Midsize companies in particular have a unique opportunity to rethink their pathways to growth in a changed world.
Return-to-office (RTO) plans are stalling [from WSJ via LinkedIn]. With return dates slipping more, employees and employers are wondering if 2021 will be another full year of remote work.
For employees: how to be successful in a hybrid workforce [via Fast Company]. We talk a lot about the company angle, but employees need to master their own skills for remote — especially time management, “virtual management”, and open communication.
WFH + Remote Work
A year into remote, there are lingering doubts about at-home productivity [from Harvard Business Review]. Like I wrote about last week, employers had no choice to embrace remote work earlier in the pandemic - often pleasantly surprised by how it worked at first. But a year later, trust is waning as some employers feel doubt creeping in about workers’ productivity at home.
Zillow CEO talks about the equity challenges facing hybrid work [via Business Insider]. On their recent earnings call, he spoke about the difficulty in creating equal environments for in-office and remote workers within a hybrid workforce.
Research from Microsoft UK reinforces permanence of hybrid work [via ITPro]. Results are similar to many other published surveys, with a few interesting callouts, including a majority of employees saying they are happier working from home.
How to onboard employees in a hybrid workforce [via Ladders]. Helpful how-to guide with focus areas for building a hybrid-adjusted onboarding program for new hires.
Specific Company Updates
Uber looking to sublease never-used Chase Center office in San Francisco [via SFGate]. The company is reportedly looking to unload more than 30% of its 1M square foot complex - that it never even had the chance to move into before COVID.
Spotify will let employees work from anywhere - forever [via BusinessInsider]. Citing the upside to diverse and equity, Spotify rolled out its “Work-From-Anywhere” policy last Friday.
Everything else
Taxes, stimulus, and remote work [via NBC News]. With Tax Day looming, there is new uncertainty and stress around filing taxes for 2020. This article covers top FAQ.
The science of school reopenings [via Politico]. Parents across the country are wishing schools would reopen, and it may be the biggest factor in the transition to hybrid work. Politico explores the science behind reopening.
👏Thanks for reading! More to come later this week. 👏
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