Is ‘hybrid work’ the new high-flying policy? insights from the aviation industry

Abstract

The return to working at the office after two years of remote work due to the COVID-19 pandemic entails challenges for employees and organizations alike. Organizations strive to create a pull towards working at the office—first and foremost to strengthen organizational culture, cohesiveness, and related outcomes. Employees do not want to give up on working from home (WFH) to maintain the newly gained autonomy and flexibility. The answer to unite organizational and individual needs seems to be a hybrid work policy, i.e., a fixed weekly or monthly ratio of working at the office and WFH. However, we know little about two things so far: the effects of a hybrid work model and how it should be designed to achieve its goals. This study takes a qualitative approach to investigate individual and organizational outcomes of a 50/50 hybrid work policy in an aviation industry IT company. Results indicate that while employees generally appreciate the policy, individual WFH desires also depend on the task structure of employees. The fixed 50% ratio also raised resistance among employees not being considered flexible enough to meet the needs of individual teams and team members. Primary recommendations for the design of hybrid work policies are given that underline the persisting importance of employee autonomy and flexibility concerns and the rising role of creating the office as a ‘social hub’.