Disadvantages of hybrid working: Uncovering the dark side

Hybrid work is the new buzzword. It seems to be a working model that you can't go wrong with. Instead of working in an office from 9 to 5, standing in traffic jams every morning and afternoon wearing gray pants and shirts, you can simply work from home in your sweatpants three or four days a week while keeping an eye on your dog.

What is there not to love? The benefits are obvious.

But after the initial boom during the pandemic years, some are beginning to recognize that hybrid working also has certain disadvantages. What do they consist of and do they outweigh the benefits that hybrid working brings to our lives?

What Are the disadvantages of hybrid working?

Die Gallup study shows that most workers hybrid working model In spite of all the disadvantages, prefer. Nevertheless, the studies show that there are numerous challenges of hybrid work that companies will have to face sooner or later. The nature of the challenges of hybrid working depend primarily on the size of the company and its industry and culture, but some difficulties are more common than others:

• inequality among workers.
• A high level of stress.
  
• Limited access to the company's resources.
• No awareness of corporate culture.
  

Below, we'll look at each and every one of these issues in more detail.

Disadvantage #1 of hybrid work: inequality between workers

One University of Konstanz study about home office and mobile working revealed that the average German employee would prefer to work from home three days a week and only two days in a traditional office. The same study shows that workers are longing for a regulation for hybrid jobs because their employers do not recognize the challenges of hybrid work and the inequalities between workers.

In other words: While certain teams can easily work across Germany, others are due to the nature of their work forced to stay in the office five days a week. Current contracts and company policies do not differentiate between different needs, goals and working methods, leading to tensions and even hostility between specific groups of workers.‍

Disadvantage #2 of hybrid working: Increased stress levels

The September 2023 Gallup Study concludes that hybrid workers are less likely to burn out at work. However, overall stress rates remain the same! How is that possible?

In view of the fact that the Face-to-face communication is reduced to a minimum And with no clear guidelines or expectations, workers are spending more time than ever thinking about the impression they're going to make. Should I be online all the time? What if I don't answer an email after 5:00 PM? Has my boss told everyone that I have a day off? Did they read my message?

Workplace flexibility also means flexibility in working hours and communication that is not suitable for everyone.

Disadvantage #3 of hybrid working: Less access to resources

that McKinsey Global Institute made a bold claim in his investigation: If you're a hybrid worker in a large company, you probably have all the resources you need. If not, you'll probably need to spend more time in the office than colleagues who work for larger companies.

The disadvantages of hybrid working include the importance of various tools and platforms that can help workers complete tasks, communicate and share files. The more people work remotely, the greater the need for tools such as Flexopus, our exclusive Desk sharing software, which helps manage flexible workspaces, meeting rooms, and parking spaces.

Disadvantage #4 of hybrid working: No corporate culture

Die Harvard Business Review conducted a survey of 1,100 participants, which showed that the idea “out of sight, out of mind” seems to be one of the biggest drawbacks of the hybrid working model. When colleagues are far away, workplace toxicity flourishes.

Here are some of the most interesting findings from the survey:

• Hybrid workers are more likely to feel excluded from conversations.
  
• Almost 50% of remote workers believe that their colleagues in the office talk bad about them behind their backs.
  
• More than 60% of remote workers believe that their colleagues in the office can make changes to their projects without consultation.
  
• More than 40% of them believe that there is secret lobbying among employees who visit the office more often.
  

These are some of the challenges of hybrid work that are not recognized by many employers and which can lead to bigger problems if not addressed.

The paradox for women: Less recognition and development

There is a certain group of workers who feel the disadvantages of the hybrid working model more than the others - women. The Gallup Study on Hybrid Work and Women has shown that this model is more challenging for many of them than for men. Below, we explain what was found during this investigation:

• In 2019, only 40% of men believed their bosses saw them as a person, compared to 51% of women. With hybrid work, values fall rapidly.
• Before the pandemic, 33% of all employers were open to letting women work from home when needed. The same percentage of employers were not open to this idea.
• Women believe that their opportunities to learn and develop are limited by hybrid working models.
• Women go back to the office less often due to socio-economic factors, which further limits their options.
  

What should theoretically lead to a perfect work-life balance has proven to be a massive factor for promotions and the perception of women as workers. The disadvantages of hybrid work are more pronounced among women than among men. Yet there is hope. All studies say that companies with a proactive approach can flourish by adopting the hybrid work model. Basically, with a little investment and effort, they can still get maximum results and make this model work for them.

Flexopus — the simple office management tool for your journey to hybrid work

With the award-winning office management platform Flexopus Implementing hybrid work is child's play. Take advantage of this with the German Design Award An excellent desk sharing tool in itself to counteract the downsides of hybrid work.

With just three clicks, you can conveniently book a workplace, a meeting room or a parking space and simplify the organization of your hybrid work concept for all employees equally.