Crafting a hybrid work schedule that benefits both employees and the company

Hybrid work is nothing new, nor is the term hybrid work schedule. If you’re an office worker, I’d be ready to bet my money on the fact that you know what the two aforementioned things are. In fact, you may even be among the growing number of people working in a hybrid model, a trend reflected in the 64% of companies (primarily in knowledge work) now operating this way, according to Zoom’s latest global survey. 

While it’s clear that hybrid work involves a mix of remote work and in-office days, there are plenty of ways to organize one’s hybrid schedule. The ratio of remote and in-office work can vary greatly, depending on the company’s policy, type of work, and other factors. 

Crafting an ideal hybrid work schedule requires understanding hybrid work schedule best practices, recognizing the benefits of the hybrid work schedule, and considering various models. This article will explore these aspects, including how tools like DeskTime can help craft and manage hybrid work schedules. Ready to dive in?

Hybrid work schedule and its types

A hybrid work schedule involves employees dividing their work time between the office and a remote location, typically their home. 

There are plenty of reasons why companies choose to implement this type of work arrangement, with a few of the hybrid work schedule benefits being:

• Hybrid workers show the highest rates of work engagement, according to Gallup
• It’s cost-effective for employers as they can save up to 50% on office space
• Hybrid workers are more productive, according to this OwlLabs survey
• Hybrid workers experience 15% less burnout than those who work exclusively in the office, as discovered in this study

Pair these stats with the enhanced work-life balance that is enabled by hybrid work, and you have a perfectly good reason to work in a hybrid mode and let your employees do the same. 

Diving into the World Wide Web to find the most typical hybrid work schedule led me to a standard ratio of three days on-site paired with two days remote (or vice versa). However, I quickly learned that there is no standard for how hybrid work is scheduled, but companies tend to choose from several types of hybrid work schedules. Let’s take a look at the most common ones. 

Fixed hybrid work schedule

A fixed hybrid work schedule is a model in which employees work specific days in the office and specific days remotely. The organization of fixed hybrid schedules can vary depending on the company’s needs or a particular team. 

A fixed schedule can provide predictability and routine to employees, benefiting work-life balance. Knowing precisely which days they’ll be in the office allows employees to more efficiently plan their commutes, childcare arrangements, and other personal commitments. 

From the employer’s perspective, fixed hybrid work schedules foster team bonding by ensuring everyone is physically present on the same days. And while this type of hybrid work schedule lacks flexibility compared to other options, it’s the best choice for teams whose work requires regular in-person meetings and interactions. 

Fixed hybrid work schedule examples:

#1

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
In-office	Remote	In-office	Remote	In-office

#2

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Remote	In-office	Remote	In-office	Remote

Flexible hybrid work schedule

As you can guess from the section title, a flexible hybrid work schedule offers more flexibility than a fixed one. With this type of schedule, employees have more freedom to choose their in-office and remote days, in most cases – within specific guidelines. 

There are A LOT of variations of how it can be done – choose your schedule, select your two days in-person + three remotely, Wednesdays in the office + your choice with the rest of the workweek, etc. 

A flexible hybrid work schedule offers, well, more flexibility to employees, which can be a significant selling point to plenty of workers – worth noting if you’re currently headhunting. Research has also found a strong correlation between flexible work arrangements and increased employee satisfaction. 

Flexible hybrid work schedule examples:

• A day in-office per week, but the employee chooses freely:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
In-office	Remote	Remote	Remote	Remote

• 2 days in-office per week, free choice:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Remote	Remote	In-office	Remote	In-office

• Wednesdays in-office due to a team meeting, other days free choice

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
In-office	Remote	In-office	Remote	Remote

• A 50/50 remote/in-office:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Morning remote, afternoon in-office	In-office	Remote	In-office	Remote

Manager-approved schedule 

Again, as straightforward as it suggests, a manager-approved hybrid work schedule is a type of schedule that can be implemented after it gets approved by one’s manager. This can be used as an individual approach where managers or team leads work with individual employees to determine a schedule that meets team and personal needs. 

Such a hybrid work schedule can be used for new employees, employees who need specific guidance from their team or manager, or when there is an underperforming worker.  

Example of a manager-approved hybrid work schedule:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
In-office (9:00 AM – 5:00 PM)	Remote (Flexible hours, core hours 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM required for meetings)	In-office (9:00 AM – 5:00 PM)	Remote (Flexible hours, core hours 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM required for meetings)	Remote(Flexible hours)

This schedule ensures the employee is present for key team meetings and collaborative projects on Mondays and Wednesdays while allowing focused remote work on other days. Plus, there’s a requirement to be available for remote meetings on specific time slots during remote work days. 

Occasional office days

In this hybrid work schedule, also called fully flexible hybrid work, remote work is the default setting, while office presence is reserved for some specific occasions or targeted purposes. In this model, workers can be asked to attend the office for meetings, collaborative days, team-building activities, and more. 

This option gives employees greater control over their work schedule and locations, improving productivity as they can choose their best-performing environments. Companies, on the other hand, can significantly reduce spending on office space and related costs. However, a fully flexible hybrid work schedule requires more input from managers:

• Having communication and collaboration tools and strategies in place
• Putting effort into preserving and fostering company culture
• Performance metrics and evaluation methods need to be adapted for such a work type

Example of a fully flexible hybrid work schedule in a company:

Software engineer Samantha usually works from home, setting her schedule to align with her peak productivity. She visits the office twice monthly for project planning and reviewing sessions and occasionally attends in-person meetings. 

Sales representative Anton is mainly on the road, meeting with clients. He visits the office between client visits to work and connect to the team.

Copywriter Eli prefers working from home or a nearby coffee shop and maintains a strict 9 to 5 schedule, which is set for personal reasons. They attend the office for team-building events or creative workshops.  

Other hybrid work schedules worth mentioning

We’ve discussed the essential types of hybrid work schedules. However, several other models are worth mentioning, as many companies have adopted them.

• Alternating weeks: Employees alternate between working in the office for a week, followed by a week of remote work. This schedule is repeated constantly, creating a predictable rhythm. 

• Rotational team schedule: Whole teams alternate weekly or monthly between on-site and remote work. This approach can help balance office capacity and manage team collaboration.

• On-site first: Employees primarily work from the office but have an option to work remotely when, for example, deep focus is needed to complete specific tasks.

Hybrid work schedule best practices

If you’re entirely new to hybrid work or feel like your existing schedules are not working, this paragraph on hybrid work schedule best practices is for you. Even though crafting the best-suiting hybrid work schedule for you or your team is often a matter of trial and error, here are some practices to consider putting in place. 

1. Define your objectives for hybrid work. It may not be the best idea to adopt hybrid work just because everybody does it or because it promises a productivity surge. Explore the reasons why your company or team should implement hybrid work. Are there some issues you’re trying to solve this way? Are you looking forward to reaping some particular benefits? Define your whys first.

2. Assess job roles and responsibilities. Not all roles are ideally suited for a hybrid work schedule, and not all tasks can be done remotely. Hence, it’s worth conducting a thorough assessment of roles and responsibilities to determine which roles can thrive in a hybrid environment and which require a more consistent in-office presence.

3. Determine core hours and flexible time. Ideally, hybrid work offers a good blend of flexibility and structure, which is crucial for successful collaboration. It’s always a good idea to determine some core hours during the day when employees are expected to be online and available for meetings and communication. For example, the schedule is flexible, but employees must work at least 7 hours daily and be available from 11 AM to 2 PM (or must give a heads-up if they won’t be). 

4. Set clear guidelines. Clear guidelines are essential for successful hybrid work.  Documenting these expectations, whether in a formal hybrid work policy or team guidelines, ensures everyone is on the same page.

5. Equip your team. Without the right tools, employees won’t be able to work effectively. That includes physical equipment, apps, and tools. Also, pay special attention to security and consider data encryption and access controls.

6. Manage your hybrid team effectively with hybrid work monitoring software. Effective management of a hybrid team and its schedule requires understanding how your team works. Hybrid work monitoring software, such as DeskTime, can provide valuable insights into productivity patterns, project progress, and potential overwork, enabling optimized schedules, resource allocation, and informed management decisions. Plus, with DeskTime, you can assign shifts and oversee employee absences – helpful in creating and managing hybrid work schedules.

Is there one ideal hybrid work schedule?

Probably not – one’s ideal hybrid work schedule largely depends on the type of work, the company policy, personal preferences, and more. The best way to determine your golden ratio between in-office and remote work is to try different hybrid work schedules and track your productivity with hybrid work monitoring software (such as DeskTime). 

Whatever you choose for yourself or your team, hybrid work is a great option that combines discipline and flexibility and notably improves employee productivity and work satisfaction. If your company has not yet implemented hybrid work, this is your sign to try!