Well, at least one company understands what its employees wants, with Lyft announcing that its employees would be given the option to work from home, work in the office, or set up a hybrid combination of the two.
With COVID-19 cases on the decline, many businesses around the world are calling for employees to return to work. Even President Joe Biden called for employers to start transitioning teams back into the office. However, studies show that the majority of workers are adamant about staying home and not returning to their commutes.
Fortunately, Lyft got the memo and has just announced that all its employees will have the “fully flexible option” to choose how they will work for the foreseeable future.
Lyft Announces “Fully Flexible” Work Model
In a company blog post, Lyft announced that all employees on its staff would have access to a “fully flexible” work schedule. This means that nearly every single employee will be able to work fully from home, fully in the office, or work in both as they see fit.
“Almost all new and existing team members will now have the choice of where to live and where to work — Lyft employees can work from the office, at home, or any combination of the two,” read the post.
With nearly 5,000 employees across the country, this is a substantial move by Lyft that could have a positive impact on the new work schedule policies of other companies. Tech giants like Apple and Google have not provided the same kind of flexibility, announcing plans to return to the office in April now that cases are so low.
Should businesses embrace hybrid work?
In so many words, yes absolutely. While cases going down may make it seem like returning to the office is a good idea, hybrid work has become one of the primary tools for businesses to stay competitive and show their teams that they care.
“A flexible workplace strikes the right balance between trust and choice — helping us do our best work while attracting and retaining top talent,” said Kristin Sverchek, President of Business Affairs at Lyft.
In all seriousness, studies have shown that employees are serious about hybrid work. Many are willing to quit if they aren’t provided with a flexible schedule option and your competitors could be poaching your employees who aren’t interested in returning to the office.
Still, many businesses aren’t prepared to offer hybrid work due to technological and cultural obstacles at the company. Fortunately, tools like remote access software, and VPNs can go a long way in helping you set your business up for success when it comes to hybrid work.
