If you look up ‘Hybrid’ you’ll get quite a few definitions. It generally means a mixture of two different things.

But it has come to mean a way of organising a workforce. ‘Hybrid’ working has become increasingly common, in fact almost prevalent. A quick search for the term comes back with 6.6 billion results, more than 3 times the results of a search for ‘office work’.

So what is it? And how does VoIP feature?

Essentially, a ‘Hybrid’ model of organising a business means catering for various different ways of working. Employees are allowed a variety of ways of performing their duties, whether it be from an office for some of the week, and the rest of the week at home. Some employers insist on an employee attending the workplace for a set number of days a week.

The core feature is the mix of two different ways of working, office- and home-based.

VoIP features heavily in Hybrid work environments. The flexibility required would be nearly impossible without it.

With it’s capability of being used across a variety of devices, it features heavily when it comes to accessing the work environment from a telecoms point of view.

Workers need the flexibility of using their work phone at home, or the whole thing essentially falls apart. Without this, you have a lot of private people making work calls from their mobiles or home phones. Calls can’t be recorded, managers lose control of staff. Customers call personal numbers.

You can see how the whole situation can escalate out of control.

Where VoIP steps in is its ability to provide a service across a range of locations and devices. As long as employees have a good internet connection at home then the company phone system will work as normal. The corporate music plays whilst callers wait to be put through. Callers can select from the standard company IVR menu. Employees call out displaying the company phone number. Callers can be transferred between departments.

It just works better, and gives a far better experience for those calling in.

It also means companies can offer a hybrid working environment to employees.

In our new ‘post-pandemic’ culture, it is positively expected. Not being able to offer this, for instance, would undoubtedly reduce the number and quality of applicants for jobs. It may mean a reduction in workforce as people leave for safety or health concerns.

It could shut your company down. If all workers are only able to work by attending your office, and one person tests positive, then you are potentially looking at a large problem.

How would you keep workers safe? Do workers have an expectation of a hybrid working environment? Do they have the right to one? After all, workers have a right to a safe place of work. And employers have an obligation to provide one.

Maybe the question now is not “Should do we do this?” but “How do we do this?”

If you’d like to discuss any aspect of Hybrid working models, remote working or your working from home options, just get in touch.

More info on staying in contact.

More info on connectivity options for home workers.

Read more on working from home.

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