💻 The Future is Hybrid: Essential Tips for Long-Term Remote Work

By John Preisig

The recent forced shift to working from home has prompted significant discussion. Many people enjoyed the perks: no long commutes, more time with family, flexible hours, and being closer to the fridge. While the convenience of getting from the kitchen to your ‘office’ desk (often the dining table) in seconds is appealing, the question remains: is this a sustainable long-term option?

The Shift to the Hybrid Worker

As restrictions ease (e.g., the move to Level 2 in this context), few employees are expected to rush back to the office full-time. The infrastructure for remote work is now established, and just as the IT industry embraced a hybrid model—partly in-house and partly in the cloud—the future of the workforce will likely be a hybrid combination of both office and home work.

I call this the “hybrid worker”: an employee who spends some days in the office and the rest working remotely.

The Challenge of Isolation and Interaction

One key element that became apparent during isolation was the lack of face-to-face interaction. Humans are social creatures, and many of us spend significant time with colleagues. While video calls are effective, they cannot fully replace the chemistry and non-verbal body language inherent in in-person interactions.

Setting Up a Sustainable Home Office

While working from home offers great benefits, it requires discipline and the right setup. Not all roles are suited for hybrid work, but for those that are, the home environment must be set up to meet office standards for productivity and health.

Key Infrastructure and Ergonomics:

• Proper Ergonomics: The dining room chair and pillows are not a long-term solution. A proper office chair is essential to prevent back issues. Health and safety rules—concerning chair, display setup, and keyboard/mouse—must be applied to the home workspace.
• Complete Peripherals: To maintain productivity, you need a second set of peripherals at home. Must-haves include a second display, external keyboard, mouse, and headset. The only thing you should have to transport is your laptop.
• Laptop Power: A second power adapter is a necessity to avoid frustrating battery power limits.

Optimizing Technology for Remote Work

Long-term hybrid work requires robust technology to minimize disruption:

1. High-Speed Internet: Invest in the fastest possible unlimited data plan available in your area.
   • Internet Types (in order of speed): ADSL $\rightarrow$ VDSL $\rightarrow$ Fibre.
   • Recommendation: An absolute minimum of VDSL is required for productive work, especially if multiple people are working from home, or if you use frequent video meetings and remote access via VPN. ADSL will be challenging under these conditions.
2. Collaboration Tools (e.g., Microsoft Teams): Utilize collaboration software (often included in Office 365 subscriptions) for file sharing, chat, video calls, and managing team availability. This is useful for scheduling, especially if staff hours have been reduced.
3. Managing Meetings and Noise: Background noise from family, while acceptable during forced lockdown, must change for long-term remote work.
   • Ideal Meeting Time: Scheduling meetings between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM may help avoid common distractions once schools reopen.
   • Audio Quality: Be aware that microphones pick up significant unintended sounds. Investing in a good headset with active noise canceling (ANC) is highly beneficial, as it minimizes background noise (up to 75% in some cases) and makes your voice the dominant sound, ensuring clear communication.

Summary

The recent shift has irrevocably changed the nature of work. It is unlikely that we will return to the pre-pandemic way of working, even with a medical resolution (like a vaccine). The future is a hybrid workforce model, which, if implemented with proper infrastructure and discipline, can be highly beneficial for both employers and employees.

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