‘Hushed hybrid’: Employees’ stealthy solution to office return

NEW YORK, UNITED STATES — As companies implement return-to-office (RTO) policies, a new trend called “hushed hybrid” work schedules is emerging, where employees continue working from home with their manager’s approval. 

Shelley Majors, a strategic HR advisor at Boardwalk Human Resources Consulting, explained to Business Insider that hushed hybrid can include “enforcing a return to office selectively among employees, allowing flexibility on certain days, mandating on days only when someone’s presence is absolutely necessary, or even misreporting attendance in some cases.”

Benefits and risks of ‘hushed hybrid’

This arrangement stems from managers recognizing the benefits of remote work, including increased employee satisfaction and retention. 

Uneven enforcement of work policies could lead to accusations of favoritism and negatively impact team morale. 

“It could be viewed as this manager might like this person more than everybody else so they’re allowing them to not be on-site,” Majors warned. 

“So someone else may wonder, ‘Why would I work hard if this other person gets to do whatever they want?'”

Moreover, managers participating in hushed hybrid arrangements put themselves at risk of disciplinary action if discovered by upper management. 

The potential consequences could be severe, depending on the company’s stance on policy adherence.

Balancing act for managers

Managers find themselves in a precarious position, balancing company policy with employee satisfaction. 

According to Hatim Rahman, an assistant professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, managers might relax enforcement to maintain productivity and employee happiness. 

“From an organization’s standpoint, they may have an overall policy, but some managers may not enforce it as strictly as long as the results are being produced,” Rahman noted.

As the workplace continues to evolve, experts suggest that employers should consider the diverse needs of their workforce when crafting RTO policies. 

Rahman emphasizes, “These decisions reflect a lot about organizational culture and the level of trust between employees and managers and upper-level management.”

While hushed hybrid may provide a temporary solution for some, it highlights the ongoing tension between employee preferences and corporate policies in the post-pandemic work environment.