To circumvent returning to the office, a new strategy called "hushed hybrid" has gained popularity. Unlike other methods of secretly avoiding office returns, this one requires the knowledge and approval of the boss. "Hushed hybrid" entails employees working from home more frequently than company policies permit, thanks to managerial flexibility. This might involve bosses selectively enforcing return-to-office (RTO) mandates among employees, allowing flexibility on some days, mandating presence only when necessary, or even misreporting attendance, according to Shelley Majors, a strategic HR advisor at Boardwalk HR.
Managers may believe that by being lenient, they can enhance employee satisfaction and improve worker retention, even if such actions violate official company policies. Research indicates that hybrid work schedules can boost employee happiness and reduce turnover without impacting productivity, as noted by Hatim Rahman, an assistant professor at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. Organizations might have an overall hybrid policy, but some managers may not enforce it strictly as long as performance goals are met.
However, managers who permit "hushed hybrid" work schedules face potential risks, especially as recent mass layoffs and stringent RTO mandates have shifted power dynamics back to employers. Managers might make unsanctioned decisions to balance employee desires for remote work with company mandates, aiming to avoid attention from higher-ups, as Rahman explained.
While some employees may benefit from the "hushed hybrid" arrangement, inconsistent enforcement of work policies could lead to perceptions of favoritism, potentially demoralizing employees who do not receive similar exemptions. This could result in employees questioning their efforts when they see peers getting preferential treatment. Moreover, if a manager's boss discovers the arrangement, it could collapse, leading to possible disciplinary consequences.
Majors suggested that employers should accommodate the varied needs and roles of employees in crafting RTO policies to obviate the need for "hushed hybrid" work. These decisions reflect on the organizational culture and the trust level between employees, managers, and upper management, noted Rahman. Depending on how companies monitor office attendance, some managers may struggle to conceal their employees' remote work. For those employees, "coffee-badging" remains an alternative option.