While hybrid and remote working arrangements can help some employees be more productive, it’s important that employers don’t take a “one-size-fits-all” approach when implementing these policies, says Kristin Bower, a partner and diversity, equity and inclusion consultant at Leda HR.

“[Implementing a successful remote working policy] takes intentionality and human connection. . . .  It’s about recognizing that everyone on your team is an individual person and they’re going to have preferences for working and different ways in which they’re going to work effectively.”

Read: Google, Salesforce applying different tactics to coax workers back to office

The connection between remote working and employee productivity was recently in the news after former Google chief executive officer Eric Schmidt walked back remarks in which he said the company was losing the artificial intelligence race because of its remote working policies.

The technology company’s employees began returning to the office in a hybrid working arrangement in 2022, after working fully remotely for two years at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

However, a recent survey by Zoom Video Communications Inc. found a majority of global employees say they feel more productive (84 per cent) and more connected to their teams (82 per cent) while working in hybrid or remote working environments than those working onsite.

Indeed, hybrid and remote working arrangements have contributed to employees’ work-life balance by allowing them to manage household duties during their work breaks, says Bower. Employees working in these arrangements are also less prone to workplace distractions.

Read: Employers rethinking value of employee connections in era of remote work: report

“I remember at the beginning of the pandemic when some employers were worried about employees doing laundry — so what? It takes five minutes to put on laundry as opposed to spending 10 minutes chit-chatting [with a colleague].

“It’s shifting [employers’ perceptions] about what is a productive workforce, and this idea of, ‘I have to see everybody at their desks.’ That doesn’t mean they’re productive.”

Remote working can also support employees with physical or mental-health issues. Bower, who experiences anxiety, says a remote working arrangement has helped her in this regard.

“Sometimes, if I need to have a nap in the middle of the day because my anxiety is through the roof, I will go do that between meetings. That’s something I can do because I work from home.”

Read: How employers can ease return to office for employees with disabilities