HR teams must invest in technology to meet the demand of hybrid working options, according to a new survey.

Margaret Sweeney, chief HR officer at Learning Resource Network, said an internal survey of the educational testing service provider’s employees found most employees want hybrid work post-pandemic.

But she warned the experience of a remote worker can be poor if there is a lack of reliable tech or conference room technology is dated.

She said: “For example, if cameras aren’t set to capture faces, if software doesn’t allow for multiple streams of content, if audio is impossible, or if software licenses haven’t been set to allow for integration with office systems for content sharing.

“These types of challenges may impact the choices your team leaders make about when to be in the office and how to do meetings when some people are remote.”

During the pandemic, in-office employees lost 28 minutes of work due to technology issues, according to research by software company Nexthink.

 If these issues are not addressed, Sweeney warned senior leaders would be more likely to say everybody must stay remote, or everybody must come into the office.

“If you don’t have the technology or the acoustic environment to support quality hybrid work, it’ll be your employees who will pay the price,” she said.  

A lack of collaboration technology could also damage employee morale.

She added: “Good collaboration is among our top priorities for a hybrid workplace because it is having a direct impact on both productivity and employee engagement.

“When technology is a barrier to productivity, team members can get frustrated by delays or the extra hours required to get to the same place.

“Multiple meetings may be required to gather necessary inputs or collaborations may be put off, for example, until the team can be all together in one place,” she said.

As the shift to home working continues, new train tickets for commuters, who will be flexible working post-pandemic, are now available and may even support a shift towards greener commuting.

The changes have been introduced with the intention of supporting employees who want to keep homeworking as an option after COVID restrictions have been fully lifted.  

From 2023, the new state-owned body, Great British Railways (GBR), will set rail timetables and prices, sell tickets in England and manage rail infrastructure.

However, the new flexible season tickets have been introduced ahead of the structural changes and can be used from 28 June 2021.

Greater focus on having employees commute to work by train could also benefit the environment.

New research from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has found the current approach to decarbonising transport in the UK could see a 28 per cent increase in car use by 2050, and an 11 per cent increase in car traffic.

The think tank has argued the UK government must focus on affordable and clean transport alternatives to cut overall car use.

Becca Massey Chase, deputy head of the IPPR Environmental Justice Commission, said the new flexible tickets could be a step towards greener commuting in the UK, but will not solve the problem of high ticket prices.

She said: “Any move to make travelling by public transport easier, more convenient and affordable is to be welcomed.”

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