Hybrid Work Policy Template (+ Real Policies Analyzed)

Company Name: [XYZ Corporation]

Hybrid Work Policy

Effective Date: [Effective Date]

Purpose: [XYZ Corporation]‘s Hybrid Work Policy outlines our approach to flexible working arrangements for employees who work from a combination of office and remote locations, on either a temporary or permanent basis. The goal of the policy is to balance the benefits of both in-office and remote work and ensure that all employees have clarity on work expectations, while promoting productivity, well-being, and collaboration.

Scope: This policy applies to all eligible employees of [XYZ Corporation]. “Eligible employees” are those whose work duties do not require reporting to a specific location. The feasibility of hybrid work is determined by job role, departmental requirements, and managerial discretion.

Policy Details

• Definition: Hybrid work refers to a work arrangement where an employee divides their time working both from the office and remotely, per this policy and other agreed terms.
• Eligibility: Not all positions may be suited for hybrid work. Operations and maintenance, security, and customer-facing roles are examples of job duties that require work on-site. Eligibility for hybrid work is determined by job responsibilities, the nature of work, team dynamics, and the discretion of department heads or direct supervisors.
• Schedule Flexibility:
  • Employees working in a hybrid model will have predefined in-office days which will be scheduled in consultation with their supervisor.
  • Any changes to the employee’s predefined schedule must be approved by their supervisor at least [X] days in advance.
• Workspace:
  • Employees are responsible for setting up a remote work environment ensuring privacy, safety, and minimal disruptions.
  • The company will provide necessary equipment, tools, and resources to ensure employees can be efficient while working remotely. Some job roles may require specialized software or equipment not included on the list of equipment the company provides to all employees who work remotely part or full time; these needs should be discussed with the IT and HR departments.
  • If an employee experiences technical issues that prevent working remotely, the employee should notify their supervisor immediately to ensure coverage of the work and to get support for the issue. Interruptions caused by internet outages may require the employee to work from the main office or an alternate location for the remainder of the day, or until the outage is fixed.
• Communication:
  • All employees must be reachable during their working hours via email, phone, or other company communication tools while working remotely.
  • Office attendance may be required for team meetings, one-on-ones, or department-wide meetings. Employees will be notified at least [X] days in advance of any meeting where office attendance is required.
• Performance Evaluation: Performance expectations remain consistent regardless of the work location. Remote work will be subject to the same metrics and KPIs used to evaluate in-office work performance. Regular communication with supervisors will ensure alignment with the metrics and clarity about expectations for employees working remotely.
• Security and Data Protection:
  • Employees must ensure that all company data is kept secure by following the company’s IT and data protection policies when working remotely.
  • Employees should use only company-approved tools for communication and collaboration.
• Health & Well-being: We encourage all employees to take regular breaks when working remotely, and to maintain separation between work and personal time with regular working hours, to ensure physical and mental well-being.
• Training: Employees new to the hybrid model will receive training to become familiar with the tools, security protocols, and best practices to follow for remote work.
• Review: The hybrid work model will be reviewed periodically, and evaluated against feedback from employees and supervisors to ensure its ongoing effectiveness.

Procedure for Hybrid Work Request

1. Employees interested in the hybrid model should discuss their eligibility with their supervisor.
2. If preliminarily approved by the supervisor, employees will fill out a ‘Hybrid Work Request Form’ available from HR.
3. The final decision will be determined within [X] weeks after submission of the request.

Conclusion: [XYZ Corporation] is committed to fostering an environment that encourages productivity and employee satisfaction. We believe that a hybrid work model, when executed well, can be a significant asset to our team. However, regular feedback and open communication will be key to ensuring its success.

Policy Review Date: [Date, e.g., “January 1, 2024”]

This policy is subject to change, depending on evolving business needs and feedback.

NYU’s policy includes a section describing what equipment and technology the school will provide, and to which employees. If you’re creating a hybrid policy for your company, make sure it details the necessary equipment and how that equipment will be maintained.

During the pandemic, we learned that working from home can bring its own flavor of interruption — in the form of kids, pets, and sometimes noise from neighbors. To that end, Gettysburg’s policy includes guidelines designed to minimize in-home interruptions. If you’re concerned that your employees may be chasing after their dog when they should be working, consider covering interruptions in your hybrid work policy.

An issue many companies grapple with when designing hybrid schedules is deciding who qualifies to work remotely. Wagner provides a robust “criteria consideration” plan to identify which employees can work from home — as well as how to measure their productivity and renew and/or reduce their hybrid status over time.

The nature of hybrid work often means some employees are on-site while others are at home. What do you do if your primary work site is closed, though? The University of Kentucky dedicates a section of its hybrid work policy to outlining how operations will continue in the event of an emergency closing. In a nutshell, those who are already scheduled to work remotely are expected to continue working as usual, while those who were scheduled to be on-site may receive Emergency Closing compensation. If you’re concerned about site closures or live in an area prone to natural disasters (floods, fires, and so on), you may wish to include this in your policy.

University of Kentucky’s policy also includes a professionalism policy outlining how hybrid employees are expected to behave while remote, which may be useful if you are concerned about decorum standards slipping.

Proper scheduling is critical to a successful hybrid workplace — but schedules are often interrupted by life and holidays. New York Power Authority’s policy lays out a plan to manage unexpected schedule changes. If, for example, a hybrid worker’s on-site day falls on a holiday or some other conflict, they may have to work on-site during the pay period to make up for it.

When designing your hybrid work policy, consider scheduling challenges that may come up and have a plan in place to meet them.

A common stance against hybrid and remote work has been the possibility that employees will take on additional forms of employment and work for another on company time. Boise State anticipated this and has created a conflict of interest policy that all hybrid workers must follow.

Companies that want to make sure their staff is focused on work at all times — or at least won’t be trying to juggle two jobs — might consider adding such a guideline to their own hybrid work policies.

While the policies above describe what roles may be able to go hybrid, Workshop’s template outlines what criteria will impact the decision. It also tries to get ahead of the communication issues that can come with a remote or hybrid team, adding that everyone should “err on the side of over-communication.”

Indeed’s hybrid work policy template has a substantial section on the legalities your company needs to consider before building and executing a policy. It also addresses the socialization that so many workers valued in the office — and how to keep that socialization going in online channels.

ActivTrak’s template includes a valuable section: a link to resources for all remote workers. Employees working off-site can review the company’s handbook, social media guidelines, internet usage guidelines, monitoring policies, and much more all in one place. This is the sort of offering that can fall between the cracks as companies try to put together remote and hybrid policies.

• Chapter 1: What is hybrid work?
• Chapter 2: Statistics
• Chapter 3: Companies
• Chapter 4: Benefits
• Chapter 5: Best practices
• Chapter 6: Software tools
• > Chapter 7: Policy templates
• Chapter 8: Schedule examples
• Chapter 9: Remote vs. hybrid work
• Chapter 10: Hybrid work is not the future