It’s a question many have pondered over the past few years – do hybrid jobs really contribute to a better work-life balance? Hybrid jobs are steadily on the rise and their popularity amongst jobseekers is largely thanks to the increased flexibility such jobs offer. The ability to spend part of the week in an office environment, allowing for easier collaboration and socialisation, and part of the week at home, without the time and expense of a commute, is a huge draw.

But how beneficial is it really to be at home rather than the office? Can hybrid jobs truly help with work-life balance, or will you be stuck having to work longer hours in your home office? Let’s dive into this and explore the potential benefits and implications hybrid working might have for workers.

Understanding Hybrid Jobs

Hybrid jobs were rare up until the pandemic hit back in 2020. Essentially, hybrid working means that there are some days when you need to be on-site and other days when you can work remotely. The specifics vary depending on the organisation. Some employers will ask for a commitment of two days a week onsite, while others mandate three or four days in the office. The in-office days could be set or vary from week to week depending on the needs of both the company and the employee.

Why Have Hybrid Jobs Risen in Popularity? 

The huge rise in hybrid jobs isn’t an accident – it’s a response to a change in workplace and workforce dynamics. Lockdowns proved that working from home was not just possible but even resulted in a boost to productivity. And after the luxury of not commuting five days a week, of decreased travel costs and more time spent with family, people didn’t want to go back to pre-pandemic work constructs – especially when hybrid working been shown to be perfectly feasible, and even help people with caring responsibilities, disabilities or neurodiversities, enter the workforce. Office perks such as ping pong tables, free fruit and beers on a Friday just doesn’t cut it anymore – flexibility is fast becoming the most important benefit that a company can offer.

Many question why, if your job is desk-based, you need to be in an office. Technology is changing. There are seamless collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams and Slack, so you can work closely with coworkers from around the world. Finally, employers are rethinking traditional job structures to meet the needs of their employees. With the Great Resignation, it was apparent that workers enjoyed work-from-home and hybrid benefits to the extent that they would leave their job if it wasn’t offered. 

How Beneficial are Hybrid Jobs?

One of the biggest perks of hybrid roles? They can make achieving a work-life balance a little easier. By offering flexibility and autonomy, many feel more fulfilled. Having the flexibility to work certain days from home means more flexibility during your days – in your breaks, you can do quick household chores such as unloading the dishwasher or putting a wash on, plus the lack of a commute means that you have more time for yourself in the mornings and your evenings start earlier. The time – your time – regained from not having to travel to an office on certain days can be monumental. You have the freedom to find your own balance in a way you never could if you worked five days a week at the office.  

Potential Challenges

Of course, hybrid jobs aren’t without their challenges. From an employer perspective, having hybrid teams means that fostering collaborations can be trickier. As for employees, juggling multiple responsibilities can sometimes feel overwhelming. It’s important to set clear expectations and boundaries. Wherever you work, you can still get burnt out. There isn’t an automatic guarantee that having a hybrid or a remote job means you’ll have a better work-life balance.

What Is The Future For Hybrid Work?

The workforce is going to continue to evolve. While some organisations will keep pushing for return-to-office like they’re living in pre-COVID times, others have given up their office leases entirely and have gone 100% remote, and some are offering a hybrid work schedule. For job seekers, it still helps to have a diverse skill set and embrace opportunities for continuous learning, something employers will always look for.

Can Hybrid Working Help To Create a Good Work-Life Balance?

With the right tools in place to help ensure collaboration and communication remain slick even when working remote, hybrid working really can work for everyone. Taking away the commute from a number of your working days instantly frees up time to do more of what you want to do outside of work. This helps to create a far better work-life balance and a great balance all round, by benefiting from the upsides to both remote and in-office work.