Working from home 2 days a week: is this the sweet spot for a successful hybrid work model?

How often do you require your hybrid team members to visit the office?

Before the pandemic, working from home 2 days a week was like cutting class when we were kids. Only a few employers considered allowing WFH (Work From Home) days to be an efficient strategy. But today, things have changed. Many employees can enjoy more flexibility regarding their schedules. Where your staff works doesn’t matter as much as soon as it fosters productivity, engagement, and retention.

However, a 100% remote model or a full in-office policy is not recommended. 

So, what is the perfect ratio between in-office and remote work? Some say working from home 2 days a week is the perfect match. Are 3 days at the office enough for managers to work with their teams in person? Which days of the week are the best days to work from home?

Here are relevant answers to these questions, key insights to define the perfect hybrid work policy, and the ideal solution to manage your hybrid workplace successfully. 

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Why is working from home 2 days a week considered the best ratio?

The problems with 100% remote or fully in-office models

Right after COVID-19, employees longed for a new freedom, so many chose to work full-time from home or a place of their choice. However, after a few years, studies have shown that working fully remote also has disadvantages. Team members have fewer interactions and begin to feel isolated, which, in the long run, can alter employee morale. Yet, being present in the office 100% of the time also shows some downsides:

• Employee autonomy isn’t fulfilled.
• Constant office distractions affect team members’ ability to focus and be productive.
• Work-life balance is harder to reach.
• Daily commuting adds a source of stress.
• The lack of work flexibility impacts employee satisfaction, engagement, and retention.

None of these two options fully meets the requirements of a modern and successful work environment, but a flexible work model does. Now, the question is: How many days per week should your employees work from home? Being on-site roughly 50% of the time is the sweet spot.

🎥 Discover how to manage a hybrid workplace successfully with deskbird in this two-minute video!

Working from home 2 days a week positively impacts the core aspects of an organization and reducing commuting stress

WFH increases performance by 20%.¹ Working on projects without disturbance is key to enhance productivity and increase happiness. 

But this ratio has also a great impact on commuting. We know that transportation can be a nightmare for big city teams. Commuting stress decreases up to 63% if you stay home 2 days a week.¹ Removing this source of stress twice or three times a week is a great way to boost your employee experience and satisfaction.

The option of the return-to-office 2 days-a-week model

The ideal ratio is to let employees work remotely for half of their time. So, if your working model is based on 5 days a week, your team members can either work 2 days at home or in the office. But remember, coming on-site has to bring added value compared to WFH. 

Here are key statistics about employees’ preferences¹:

• 12% want to work from home every day; 
• 36% say 3 days at the office is their favorite;
• 32% say 2 days on-site;
• 4% don’t want any WFH.

Ultimately, the number of days on and off-site is not the most important. The key is that your team members find a purpose in coming to the office. This can be meeting colleagues, enjoying on-site perks, booking a specific workspace for a project, etc.

💡 Discover 13 in-office perks for employees to make the workplace more attractive than WFH!

What are the two best days to work from home?

So, if working from home two days a week is the best ratio between home and in-office work, what should those two days be?

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are the preferred days to do remote work, making Tuesday and Thursday employees’ favorite days to work from the office. Wednesday is the ultimate winner. It allows team members to slow down to tackle the last days of the week better. This doesn’t mean they work less, but at least they don’t have to commute. They can also get extra sleep, get reenergized by spending time with loved ones, or do sports.

If you make working from home two days a week part of your hybrid work policy but want to decide which days will be remote, we recommend picking Wednesday. Then, you can ask your team if they prefer Mondays or Fridays as their second WFH day.

🗓️ Check out the deskbird week planning feature to always know who is working where!

How do you create the ideal hybrid work schedule for your team?

Get to know your employees’ preferences about WFH days.

Getting your team members’ feedback to understand their preferences is the first step to creating a hybrid work policy that makes your team thrive.

Implementing this flexible work arrangement successfully is impossible if you decide unilaterally. The main reason is that each workforce is different, and each organization has unique needs and requirements.

Knowing and considering your team’s expectations ensures hybrid work works. Without this first step, you might take the wrong direction and create a policy that leads to outcomes opposite to those expected.

Make structured flexibility a core element of your hybrid work policy

Whether you have a workforce of 10 or 500 people, you will most likely face trade-offs because of different employees’ expectations and job requirements. Some of your staff might need a lot of in-office time, while others would prefer more time at home with less commuting. Considering this factor is fundamental.

The key to an ideal hybrid work policy is structured flexibility and adaptability. Whether you allow working from home 2 days a week or another model, flexibility is fundamental to boosting productivity, engagement, satisfaction, and employee attraction and retention.

💜 Discover how deskbird helps you design the best hybrid work policy!

Check your workplace analytics to make smart decisions regarding the number of WFH days

Workplace technology allows you to gather key information about your office space use and occupancy. This data is essential to make relevant decisions regarding the number of days your staff should be entitled to work remotely.

If you notice that your employees use the office heterogeneously, you can continue with an at-will hybrid work policy without picking specific days for your employees to be on-site. However, your workplace analytics may also highlight that your staff mainly already tends to come more to the workplace on certain days. This is a clear indicator of their preferences.

Keep your hybrid work strategy open to change

As we said, flexibility is key if you want to adopt the trends of the office of the future and create a people-first culture in your organization. Remember never to set the rules straight once and for all. Always remain open to change.

Regularly ask your team about what they feel regarding their work schedule. Maybe what was true last year is now obsolete. Listen to them and pay attention to their requests. The aim is to find the most efficient working model for the common goal.

How do you manage a hybrid team working from home two or three days a week?

Managing a hybrid workplace can sometimes be tricky. Not only do you have to handle flexible schedules, but you also must provide a work environment that meets a hybrid workforce’s needs. From setting up an effective hybrid work policy to adjusting the workspace and ensuring a positive employee experience, there are a lot of aspects to take care of. 

The deskbird app enables you to tackle all aspects of hybrid workplace management in one place. Here are some of our key features that will help you make working from home 2 days a week a success for you and your team members:

• A structured and transparent attendance system needs a hybrid work policy feature.
• Desk and room booking for an efficient and positive on-site experience.
• Week planning for effective collaboration and scheduling.
• Workplace analytics reports for clear and data-based insights on your office use. 
• Hybrid office calculator for office cost-saving and space optimization.
• And much more.

👉 Request a free demo of the deskbird app to discover more about our solution!

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So, is working from home 2 days a week the perfect match? We can answer this question by speaking more of the percentage of time spent on-site and away (whether it’s home or not) than in the number of days. Studies show that 50% is the sweet spot. Regardless of your choice, setting up a trial period is the best way to know if your decisions benefit your company and employees. 

Whether it’s 2 or 3 days, what you make of it matters the most. What are your team members looking for when they come to the office? Do they find the comradery and connection they are missing when they are on their own? Do they go back home full of energy, trust, and projects? You must know what boosts your employees’ satisfaction, productivity, and success.

The deskbird app is the tool that all organizations and workers need to manage and balance hybrid work schedules efficiently! Start a free trial to discover how our software works and all the user-friendly features we’ve created to make your hybrid team thrive!

¹ Working remotely two to three days a week, the best option, IESE.