Wellbeing at Work: The Future of the Hybrid Workforce

The way we work has changed. The traditional 9–5 office job went out the window as soon as the pandemic opened it up. Those that had postulated for years that remote work would create laziness were met with the opposite findings once the studies rolled in.

If anything, remote work increased pressure and found employees struggling to clock off when the day would have, in the office, been done.

Regardless, going back to “normal” is (thankfully) no longer an option. The hybrid work environment is the way forward. But navigating it is still a work in progress.

Remote Working Pros and Cons

Being forced to work from home didn’t only reveal benefits for the remote work advocates. It also highlighted what the physical workplace actually brings to the table.

Remote working pros:

Remote work means freedom. You can:

• Design your office however you want
• Ditch the long commute
• Be more flexible with your hours
• Take work with you anywhere.

Remote working cons:

On the other hand, when working remotely, you lose:

• Social interactions with colleagues
• Day-to-day feedback from bosses and peers
• A sense of structure to the day
• A quiet place set up exclusively for the purpose of work.

It can be harder to stay motivated and self-disciplined without an office to go to. Communication can be more difficult, and it’s harder for leaders to foster corporate culture. It can also be more difficult for staff to switch off.

Internal initiatives directed at wellness have become ever more important to keep staff happy, engaged and mentally and physically well.

Finding Work/Life Balance

The idea of work/life balance is to manage time for both work and personal responsibilities. Too much of one is detrimental to the other. And not just for individuals.

Well-being — which is parallel to work/life balance — has a direct impact on a company’s profitability. Stressed staff take more sick days, and burnout can have employees out of work for weeks. Resignations and re-hires can cost a fortune. But wellness initiatives both attract and build loyalty with staff.

In a report by LinkedIn, it was found that Australian workers valued work/life balance so much that one-third would even take a pay cut for it. Backing that up, Robert Walters ran a study finding that 92% of participants found it either somewhat or very important to have a wellness program established in their workplace.

Hybrid Work for the Work/Life Ideal

What we’ve learnt in the last few years is that balance is the key. Balance in the work environment and balance in how work and life coexist.

Within an organisation, a hybrid workforce could look in a number of ways:

• Partial days in-office (E.g. parents working split days to allow for school pickups);
• Some workers could be fully remote, and others full-time on-site; or
• Each employee has a mix of both on-site and remote throughout any given week.

What works for one doesn’t necessarily work for another. It’s worth considering flexibility in individual arrangements to work with the nuanced needs of your people.

Technology in the Hybrid, Wellbeing-Conscious Workplace

Technology is the great enabler, and it plays a vital role in well-being initiatives in the hybrid environment. If staff aren’t in the office, they can’t enjoy the office gym. When flare-ups of COVID rear their head, department yoga sessions lose their appeal.

Tools like PUML Better Health motivate employees and kickstart corporate well-being no matter where staff are located. Through the platform, you can survey employees to assess their needs and create customisable programs to fit them. First-class gamification then engages staff, encourages them to join challenges with peers and earn rewards that further incentivise participation.

Learn more about the PUML Corporate Wellness Program.

About PUML Better Health

PUML Better Health is one of the original Web3, Move-to-Earn, Fitness and Wellness company from Gold Coast, Australia. PUML specialises in the Move-To-Earn industry, where users can get rewarded with their cryptocurrency token $PUMLx on the Ethereum blockchain for completing health challenges such as steps and meditation. PUML successfully launched Move-to-Earn for Corporates in 2021 by signing with major corporations such as Singapore and Malaysia’s Western Union, Deloitte, LVMH and many more, generating substantial revenue and growth.