Today’s Hybrid Work Schedule: Types, Benefits, and Best Practices

After several years of growth in remote work, the workplace is once again shifting as some companies begin to institute return-to-office policies. However, that doesn’t mean remote work is a thing of the past. Even as some workers return to physical locations, many have adopted hybrid work schedules, which gives them the option to work remotely part of the time. And according to Gallup, it’s the preferred setup for 60 percent of U.S. employees in remote-capable jobs.

Flexible arrangements can be beneficial for both workers and their employers when done right. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that across private businesses, remote and hybrid work resulted in slight productivity improvements and cost savings. Meanwhile, Gallup respondents said the biggest benefits are better work-life balance and stronger in-person relationships.

But it’s not just about telling people when and where work happens. Hybrid work tools and support can help teams stay connected and collaborate more effectively. Let’s look at how to design a hybrid schedule that increases productivity and engagement.

What is a hybrid work schedule, and why is it valuable?

A hybrid work schedule allows employees to work virtually part of the time while still requiring some in-office presence. It offers the best of both worlds: the structure and social aspects of face-to-face contact with coworkers combined with the convenience and flexibility of remote work. Many companies designate specific days when employees must be in the office for meetings and collaboration, allowing them the flexibility to work from home or elsewhere for the rest of the time.

While being in the office is useful for orientations, team-building activities, important client meetings, or new project kickoffs, remote days might be better for creative deep dives or tasks that require a lot of focus.

Types of hybrid work schedules

Hybrid work schedules vary based on what teams and companies need. The right schedule helps employees perform their best while aligning with their company culture. Here are four common hybrid work schedules.

Fixed schedule

A fixed hybrid schedule sets consistent in-office and remote days for everyone. For example, all employees might work from home on Mondays and Fridays but be on-site on Tuesdays through Thursdays. This hybrid approach can work well for real-time collaboration and simplifies scheduling. However, it can feel less flexible than other options when certain work has to happen on particular days.

For smooth transitions between the office and home, you can use hybrid work tools that reduce busywork and help teams stay focused during in-person collaboration sessions, such as Slack canvas for meeting preparation.

Flexible hybrid schedule

A flexible hybrid schedule enables employees to pick their office days. It offers more autonomy than other models but can be harder to coordinate. You can improve implementation of this schedule by providing clear guidelines in your hybrid workplace policy, such as instructions on how to communicate in-office availability through a shared channel. This setup enables high-performing teams to stay flexible while planning for face-to-face brainstorming and team-bonding events.

Rotating schedules

To improve capacity planning and office usage, consider alternating which teams come into the office. For example, Team A could come in on Mondays and Wednesdays while Team B comes in on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Rotate Fridays among teams or have everyone come in if space permits.

This hybrid schedule gives teams dedicated office time for collaboration, and it can be helpful for companies that want to reduce overhead by leasing less office space. To avoid scheduling errors, use workflow automation to send reminders about upcoming office weeks and create rules for sharing availability, updates, or changes.

On-demand or at-will arrangements

A hybrid workplace policy that only requires office time when necessary works best for highly distributed teams or those focused on project outcomes rather than the number of hours worked. Employees may go to the office for team events, hands-on meetings, or brainstorming sessions. This model is less structured than others, and teams new to this arrangement might need tips for remote work best practices. Use asynchronous tools like Slack clips to communicate messages without scheduling a meeting.

How to implement a hybrid work schedule

The flexibility a hybrid work schedule provides can be attractive to employees. And with the right tools and policies, you can help your company embrace the future of work with fewer frustrations. Here’s how to roll out a flexible hybrid schedule.

1. Create a clear hybrid workplace policy

Before implementing a hybrid schedule, create a written policy that clearly outlines who is eligible to work remotely and how often. Go over all details relevant to your hybrid work model, including whether teams will follow a fixed or flexible schedule and when they should be available for collaboration.

Your hybrid workplace policy should also set clear expectations for each team regarding the day-to-day. Outline processes and procedures so your employees know how and when to communicate while working remotely versus in the office.

Consider these questions:

• For remote work, what hours must your employees be online and accessible?
• How do you ensure work communication and collaboration will flow smoothly, especially if your team is distributed across time zones?
• Do you have robust security measures in place to ensure that work done remotely doesn’t compromise your business, such as two-factor authentication and clear permissions for accessing data?

2. Involve your team in the process

For a smooth rollout, it’s essential to have a transition plan that serves as your hybrid work guide and to be transparent with your employees. Get input from managers on which schedule structures work best for their teams. To keep communication lines open, use weekly surveys, quick Slack polls, or async discussions in team channels.

Transparency early on builds buy-in and provides insight into what teams need for your hybrid schedule to succeed. Discuss the following:

• Hybrid work tools and technology. Check that teams have similar hardware, software, and IT support across work environments. They should be able to access their work operating system from mobile and desktop devices, view cybersecurity policies, and request password and other technical help from anywhere.
• Employee support and training. Consider what level of culture-building, mentoring, and upskilling teams need and how to meet different requirements when working remotely vs. in-office. For example, you may want to provide regular cybersecurity training for employees who frequently work from multiple locations, such as their homes, co-working spaces, or coffee shops.
• Coordination and communication. Consider workflows that occur during a weekly hybrid schedule, like approvals or feedback sessions, along with any needs for communicating urgent priorities. For effective remote team management, consider minimizing the number of meetings required, because this gives people more time to focus on their work and increased flexibility in how they structure their workday.

3. Define collaboration routines

A schedule sets the structure for hybrid work, but teams also need to know how to stay connected. You can create routines that span both in-office and remote settings so employees have predictable ways to meet up. For consistent engagement, offer team collaboration tips for different work styles and focus areas.

For example:

• Encourage teams to use Slack features, such as statuses, to indicate availability or heads-down focus time.
• Schedule short, recurring team standups via huddles to maintain routines that work reliably across workspaces.
• Create shared channels across departments so that cross-functional work and innovative tips and ideas aren’t hindered by location.

4. Use tools that support asynchronous work

For teams that split their time between home and office, asynchronous communication makes coordination much easier than scheduling meetings in real time. On days when employees work remotely, they need access to the files, applications, and data necessary to do their jobs, just as they would in the office.

Collaboration tools can help hybrid workers be more productive and efficient, and a work operating system like Slack connects employees to the resources they need. 

Look for remote work solutions that:

• Enable company-wide, team, and one-on-one communication. Having a single app where managers can quickly share critical information across all levels can boost productivity. Consider centralizing communication features such as one-click audio or video calls, direct messaging tools, and company-wide announcements.
• Keep company data secure. Ensure only approved people and devices can access your company’s information. With Slack security and other solutions, you can manage access via single sign-on protocols and ensure employee devices remain secure. Hybrid work tools should also protect confidential data with robust data encryption.
• Support individual preferences. Help teams implement their hybrid work schedules by using settings like Do Not Disturb to mute notifications and reduce interruptions during deep work and downtime. Choose tools with beginner-friendly automation features that enable employees to set reminders for due dates and unanswered messages.
• Help teams organize project information. Create dedicated channels for a team, department, or project to organize status updates, meeting notes, discussions, files, and feedback. Also, consider pinning project plans, creative briefs, FAQs, important announcements, and more for easy access.
• Enable faster information searches. Store your company’s workplace policies, hybrid schedules, and other relevant information in a central database, and then enable AI-powered search to save time and effort. Faster access is the top AI advantage cited by daily AI users in Slack’s latest Workforce Index survey.
• Integrate with third-party apps. Connecting calendars, cloud storage, and team-specific tools allows teams to do more work from a single platform. With Slack integrations, hybrid workers can access what they need from mobile or desktop devices, whether in or out of the office.
• Connect hybrid workers to external vendors and clients. When designing your hybrid work schedule, it can be challenging to work around the needs of clients and vendors. Teams can stay connected with a platform that supports secure communication with external partners and vendors.

5. Start with a pilot hybrid schedule, then adapt and improve

A hybrid work schedule may take some time to get right. A pilot period of 30 to 90 days allows you to see what works and what doesn’t. Use Slack to gather feedback from your team. Try using emoji polls or simple forms and metrics to track attendance and engagement. Revisit your plan and apply what you’ve learned to shape your hybrid work model and schedule around the needs of your team.

Designing flexibility into the future of work

The flexibility of a hybrid work schedule means teams don’4t have to accept all or nothing. Research shows employees value socializing with coworkers at the office and saving money on commutes when working remotely. However, having the right hybrid work tools is essential for teams to complete their tasks and stay connected from any location. To embrace the future of work, combine a flexible hybrid schedule with an AI-powered workplace where employees, digital agents, and data come together.

Hybrid work schedule FAQs

What is a hybrid work schedule? 

Hybrid work blends in-office and remote schedules for employees based on company policy. It defines when and where work takes place.

How do hybrid work models impact productivity? 

An effective hybrid strategy improves productivity by supporting different autonomy and focus time needs.

What are the best tools for managing a hybrid workforce? 

Look for AI-powered tools that work equally well across workspaces and support async communication.

How can I design a hybrid work policy? 

Start with the basics, like who is eligible, how often they need to be in the office, and how you’ll communicate. Then, consider tools and collaboration routines.

What are the best remote work practices for hybrid teams? 

Make meetings intentional and document everything in shared channels. Also, use shared calendars to simplify scheduling.

What are employee engagement strategies for hybrid teams? 

Build habits that connect people across locations and departments, such as async team check-ins or casual channels for non-work chat.

What are the benefits of a flexible hybrid schedule?

Flexible hybrid schedules enable teams to choose where they work, thereby improving work-life balance and reducing the risk of burnout.