What is hushed hybrid? Meet the non-confrontational answer to WfH vs RTO

There is a battle going on for the soul of the workplace: does it matter if you go to the office or work from home?

Some people are very het up about it. Workers turn to petitions, walkouts and social media rants when forced to “return to office” (RTO), as though it’s a political campaign. Sometimes they even maliciously comply by showing up, swiping their card, grabbing a coffee and leaving.

On the other hand, companies are demanding staff return even though they lack office space for everyone – as Amazon has done – while CEOs are making headlines with bonkers outbursts. Stuart Rose, the former CEO of M&S, said working from home (WFH) is not doing “proper work”. Eric Schmidt suggested (though later walked back) Google was behind on AI because of remote work. Michael Bloomberg suggested that golf courses were busier because of WFH patterns. Elon Musk has even said it’s “morally wrong”.

Most recently, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon launched a foul-mouthed tirade about a petition by staff to avoid a full RTO, adding that staff were rude in Zoom meetings by looking at emails and if they didn’t like the changes they could find jobs elsewhere.

“There is no chance that I will leave it up to managers. Zero chance. The abuse that took place is extraordinary,” he reportedly said.

Here’s the solution: ignore Dimon and do leave it up to line managers. Because they’re managing it case by case anyway, as is their job.

That’s been dubbed “hushed hybrid”, and it’s the non-confrontational solution for anyone who just wants to stop arguing about work and start doing some work.

What is hushed hybrid?

So let’s address the core question: what is hushed hybrid?

Imagine you’re a manager. On one hand, your CEO has demanded everyone return to the office five days a week, regardless of an employee’s situation. On the other hand, you’re short staffed and know your best workers will quit if forced to give up all their days at home – perhaps they have moved out of the city, meaning a longer commute, or have caring responsibilities.

What do you do? Stuck between a rock and a hard place, some managers are opting to nod along to RTO demands while quietly allowing flexibility in working patterns for their staff as requested, when needed and appropriate.

In other words, they’re acting like adults, treating employees like humans rather than cogs in a machine, and assessing the situation carefully instead of making unreasonable, blanket demands like a tantrumming toddler (see Dimon, above).

And this is what’s happening already. One survey by recruitment firm Robert Walters found 43% of respondents had considered a “hushed hybrid” approach to quietly allow flexibility where needed without angering higher-ups obsessed with office attendance.

Hybrid benefit

Companies have a right to require staff in the office, just as employees have the right to quit if forced to pay for and suffer a commute they deem unnecessary. (British workers have a right to request flexible working, though their employers also have a right to refuse it.)

Research abounds showing the many benefits of hybrid working – less burnout, better mental and physical health, money saved on commutes – without any damage to productivity. And given that, plenty of companies find it valuable to allow hybrid or entirely remote working, as it’s one more motivation to work for a company beyond benefits and pay.

Of course, it depends on the work and the role: some jobs genuinely need to be in the office, younger staff often benefit from mentoring, and there are benefits to in-person collaboration and networking. All that is fine. But be aware your staff might disagree.

The rise of hushed hybrid suggests that having a default policy with exceptions made when requested is perhaps the correct road, rather than attempting to apply an acronym across the entire company. Instead of “RTO or GTFO”, Dimon et al could try this: “Our standard policy is working in the office, unless an alternative working arrangement is agreed with your line manager.”

The downside of hushed hybrid is it leaves the CEOs thinking that their blanket policies are actually being followed, rather than challenging such demands as unreasonable. But then again, it’s understandable to avoid confrontation: those of us who aren’t CEOs can’t scream like toddlers to get our way – we have to be a bit quieter. Perhaps Dimon et al should shush and listen, instead.

Related articles by Nicole

• AI at work: employees want a say in how AI is used
• Why don’t CEOs get that return to office mandates don’t work?
• What is quiet quitting? | TechFinitive