With the roll-backs of local, state, and federal COVID-19 restrictions, businesses are attempting to return to a state of normalcy. But, reinstating pre-pandemic conditions isn’t as simple as they ought to be, and too many entrepreneurs are experiencing such a cruel reality. So, some are experimenting with a hybrid solution: a combination of work-from-home or WFH and on-site business operation. Sure, it certainly sounds like a logical solution. But, every solution breeds new problems. Meaning, there are distinct disadvantages to adopting a WFH and on-site business model. Biggest Hybrid Workplace Advantages Obviously, corporations around the world wouldn’t put a hybrid model in-place unless it had substantial benefits. And, there are some compelling reasons, like the potential of increased productivity via a customizable schedule. After all, happy employees are more productive and that’s certainly good for the bottom line. Then, there’s the morale boost which comes from being able to choose from WFH and on-site. Employees cherish the freedom and that too, helps to boost both productivity and morale. What many companies are converging on is a mixture of remote working and traditional office working, known as the hybrid workplace. A hybrid workplace exists when a business allows their employees to work either remotely or from the office. In a typical hybrid workplace, employees have the choice of working in a central office, working from home, or splitting their time between the two. —WeWork Ideas Blog Additionally, it can help to reduce operating costs, which decrease with the lessened need of supporting individuals constantly on-site. Moreover, it allows employees to avoid toxic situations. For instance, two or more employees who don’t get along very well in-person can find relief by not having to be in close proximity. 4 Issues with a WFH and On-Site Hybrid Business Operation While a hybrid operation might sound like a perfect answer, that just isn’t the case. Unfortunately, there are big potential problems with adopting a hybrid model, as the following issues might present: Managing a hybrid team is very difficult. Anyone with experience in managing a team is familiar with the vast time and effort that goes into making it work. Now, add-in a bunch of other variables that weren’t present before and it’s easy to imagine just how more difficult or nightmarish managing people in totally different physical locations is in reality. Some WFH employees will take advantage. Put this problem in the all-too-obvious column: some employees will exploit the new policies to their own personal advantage, even if it results in harming others and/or the company. While it’s not something you might relish thinking about, it is most definitely a possibility or perhaps, even a probability. A hybrid scenario can easily foster resentment. Another potential problem is along the same lines as the one above — that one or more employees will gain a sense of others’ nefarious behaviors regarding the hybrid operation. That could very well cause resentment to rear its ugly head. Not everyone will contribute the same amount. Expounding on the last two possible issues, is the real possibility one or more employees will shuffle responsibilities off their own shoulders and onto their coworkers through a form of sleight of hand. What other suggestions do you have to deal with potential work-from-home issues? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts and experiences. Perhaps others can benefit from your unique perspective! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

One of your best employees just came in with some exciting news – she’s pregnant and it’s her first! Everyone congratulates her and during the excitement, you begin to realize that this is going to affect your business in a profound way. Panic begins to set in as you think about all the help you’re losing – at least for the short term. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be so nerve-racking. You can create a reliable plan of action to deal with this momentous occasion. How Small Businesses can Prepare for Employee Paternity Leave, Too Of course, the same could be true for a new father. Your right-hand guy will be out for an extended period of time. Although this is a wonderful occasion, it leaves you feeling quite anxious. After all, this is one of your go-to people and definitely among your top performers. So, where do small firms commonly go wrong when it comes to managing maternity? ‘Some delay unnecessarily, rather than starting to plan and act as soon as they’re told about the pregnancy,’ Cecily Lalloo, an HR expert, replies. ‘This can mean you end up recruiting the wrong person, meaning you’ll have to repeat the process, which wastes time and money.’ —The Guardian Small Business While he’s away with his wife and new baby, all of his work will still have to get done somehow. Even more worrisome, is how you’ll fill that gap, regardless of the amount of time. It’s enough to make anyone feel quite unsettled because this type of news generally comes out of the blue and you’re unprepared for it. However, if you follow the suggestions below, you’ll be able to get through it as smoothly as possible. How Small Businesses can Prepare for Employee Maternity Leave When you’re faced with a maternity leave situation or any type of parental leave, you’ll obviously need a plan to follow. Here are some steps that you can take when this type of situation arises: Create or review your maternity leave policy. If you already have a maternity leave policy, then great, simply review it to ensure that it is up to date and that it will work for your business in its current state of affairs. But, if you don’t have a maternity leave policy, you can create one and customize it to fit your needs. Speak with the mom-to-be one-on-one. The next thing you need to do is to speak with your employee about her plans. Don’t be afraid to ask specific questions, or inquire about her plans to return or leave her position. It’s far better to know than guess, leading to unnecessary confusion and worry. Have her document all her projects and tasks. Regardless if she’s coming back to her position or you need to hire someone else, you’ll need to know exactly what projects and tasks she’s currently working on. Either way, you’ll need somebody to come alongside her in order to be familiarized with her responsibilities so that person can assume her role. Assign one or more backups. If you don’t have someone already on your team who can take over, consider spreading her work among a few people. However, if this isn’t feasible, you should consider bringing in a temporary person. Create or review your transition plan. Lastly, you’ll need to develop a transition plan for her return if she is coming back. This will allow her to ease back into the swing of things without being overwhelmed. What other suggestions do you have for preparing for an employee’s maternity leave? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts and experiences so others can benefit from your perspective. Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.