If you’re thinking about making the shift to hybrid working in your organisation, then you’ll also want to think about your new hybrid work policy.
A hybrid work policy outlines the rules and procedures for all hybrid employees at an organisation so that everyone knows what to expect. This could be company-wide or for individual employees who have requested a shift to hybrid working.
Creating a policy should involve your HR and legal team, but to get you started, we’ve made this hybrid work policy template, an easy tool to help you begin.
Do you need a hybrid working policy?
No, not by law. However, creating a hybrid working policy for your organisation will help employers to consider requests and explain the model to employees, making sure everyone is on the same page.
Your hybrid work policy will outline the framework of working arrangements for individuals, when they can work from home and when they will be expected to be in the office.
Introducing an official hybrid work policy will help avoid any issues or complaints in the future, as well as any confusion.
Creating a hybrid working policy
We have written an in-depth guide on how to write a hybrid work policy that you can take a look at.
Read: How To Write A Hybrid Working Policy
There are, however, basic points that should be covered in all hybrid policies. These include:
- Purpose
- Working Arrangments & Availability
- Equipment
- Dress Code
- Communication
- Security Measures
- Safety Measures
- Eligibility
Hybrid Working Policy Template
Below we’ve created the framework of a simple hybrid working policy template that you can use in your organisation.
Purpose
This is essentially a quick summary of the purpose of your hybrid working policy, what’s included and who it applies to.
Example Purpose Section:
This policy is a guide intended to help all of our employees understand the hybrid work policy at [Company Name]. It will be continually updated and adapted as the hybrid working model evolves at the organisation.
This policy is not contractual but instead, it aims to provide a structured outline of how the organisation deals with hybrid working and any issues related.
2. Working Arrangements
Arguably the most important section within your hybrid work policy, it’s imperative that you outline exactly what hybrid working means to your organisation from a logistical standpoint.
You will need to outline basic working arrangements for hybrid workers, including but not limited to; working hours, availability and location. Do employees get to choose when they work remotely or are there predefined days and times for all teams?
If there are specific times or days that employees need to come into the office, for a meeting perhaps, then this needs to be clearly written in the policy to avoid ambiguity.
You will want to spend the most time on this section, as every company will have different requirements, for example, do you need your employees to be working during a certain timezone or can they get their work done when they want as long as they work done? Are they required to be available at set hours?
These will all need to be addressed in the working arrangements section.
Example Working Arrangements Section:
Hybrid employees are defined as individuals who are in the office two to three days per week, these days can be agreed upon with department heads or if the department head chooses, hybrid employees can choose their own days.
All full-time employees are required to work [X} hours per week and attend any required in-office meetings on [X] days as requested by their department head.
Our office working hours are between 09.00 to 17.00 hours CST, and all employees are required to be available during these hours no matter their location.
When hybrid employees come into the office for the day, they work in a hot desking arrangement with no preassigned spaces.
3. Equipment
Your policy should include a section regarding equipment supplied to staff. This will generally include laptops and IT equipment, but could also include desks and chairs for a home office set-up.
Example Equipment Section:
We will provide laptops to all employees. Individuals who utilise a hybrid working model must comply with company-wide IT policies regardless of location, concerning remote access and use of IT equipment.
We ensure that any equipment supplied to hybrid workers meets health and safety standards.
Employees must maintain equipment in good working order and always keep said equipment safe and secure.
If there should be any issues with supplied equipment, please contact [X].
4. Dress Code
Your organisation may or may not have a dress code for hybrid employees. Or perhaps, there is a dress code while employees are in the office but not when they are when working remotely. Either this way this needs to be addressed in your policy.
Example Dress Code Section:
Employees are expected to dress in business casual attire when working in the office.
Employees who are working remotely are expected to dress in business casual if they appear on video calls and meetings.
Clothing must be work appropriate with offensive or inappropriate designs not allowed.
5. Communication
Everyone within your organisation needs to be aware of the expectations around communication when shifting to a hybrid work model.
Your policy will want to address various issues including what platforms are used for remote communication, and what is a reasonable time for messages to be answered.
Example Communication Section:
All employees must be contactable during the working hours of [X] to [X].
Employees will be in regular contact with their team and department heads through the following platforms, [X].
Hybrid employees are expected to follow the usual sickness and absence procedures, please refer to [X].
6. Security Measures
Security measures for an organisation are referring to data and cyber security. A hybrid work policy will need to address the security measures there that protect employees and the company when working at home and in the office.
Example Security Measures Section:
Employees are responsible for keeping sensitive business data and document confidential and secure regardless of location.
All work must be done on a secure, private internet connection on company equipment, to ensure data is kept secure and as private as possible.
7. Safety Measures
The safety measures section will need to outline how the company deals with health and safety. If you are based within the UK, then you will need to refer to the Health & Safety At Work Act 1974.
This section will most likely link to your company’s wider health and safety policy.
Example Safety Section:
The Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 states that it is the employer’s responsibility to safeguard, the health, safety and welfare of all employees when at work.
The ability to protect hybrid employees when working off-site is diminished and therefore all employees must ensure that their home working environments are safe and set up correctly.
Please refer to the company Health & Safety policy at [X] for full details.
8. Eligibility
Not all job roles are suited to hybrid working, so your policy will need to consider this.
Outline within your policy who is eligible for hybrid working and what conditions must be met in order to qualify for hybrid working.
Example Eligibility Section:
Employees will only be eligible for hybrid working if it is clear the employees’ location does not affect their work productivity and results.
