Hybrid Schedule: Casual Culture

Tips For a Casual Transition Back to the Office

At this point, many of us have been working from home for over a year, but the time has come to transition back into the office.

This raises many questions – Should we participate in flex scheduling? If so, how many days should our team work in-office and how many remote? How will the company culture change when employees return to the office? The list goes on.

With lots of uncertainty on the horizon, 

here are a few tips for a casual transition:

How many days should your team go into the office?

  2-3 days in-office per week is our preference. This allows the freedom and flexibility of working remotely, while still maintaining the team environment that an office provides.  

Choose office days that keep the flow of work in sync.

Mondays are a strong option. Gathering the team in-person Monday morning allows for open dialogue of expectations and workload for the upcoming week. We prefer Thursday as a second day. This allows employees to manage their workload from home for two days, then regroup as a team Thursday. An in-office workday on Thursday allows teams to review what they accomplished in the two days prior as well as what they can focus on to end the week.

Be flexible with start times.

Most companies have allowed variance regarding start times while working remotely the past year. Continue this as we transition back to the office. For many employees, the staggering in-time has allowed them to take on early AM activities that did not previously fit their schedule. Many are enjoying the flexibility that allows them to put their children on the bus or participate in a morning workout class.  

Keep it casual.

A great way to ease the transition is to loosen the office dress code. Although this is not the case for all environments, perhaps jeans and a button down are a strong alternative to slacks and a blazer. In reality, most employees have been working in sweats for a year, so putting on a suit seems foreign and uncomfortable. Reducing the dress code standards produces a smoother transition in switching from remote to in-office every other day.

According to a new McKinsey survey of 100 executives, 9 out of 10 will be combining remote and on-site work.

What tips do you have for a smooth transition? Let us know in the comments below! 

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