For public relations executive Terance Brouse, the office is where creativity flows.

On Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, employees at Maverick PR work from the firmB次元官网网址檚 office B次元官网网址� a converted red brick Victorian home in TorontoB次元官网网址檚 Annex neighbourhood.

B次元官网网址淲e come to the office on the same days because we need a quorum,B次元官网网址� said Brouse, the firmB次元官网网址檚 vice-president of client services. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 when the brainstorming and those B次元官网网址榓haB次元官网网址� moments happen.B次元官网网址�

On Thursdays and Fridays, employees work from home on different tasks. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 when we put our heads down to focus on writing and getting work done,B次元官网网址� he said.

Many companies are transitioning to hybrid work schedules from the work-from-home policies that developed by necessity in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yet how to strike a balance between office life and remote work remains an enduring challenge for many businesses nearly three years after lockdowns upended how many Canadians work B次元官网网址� one thatB次元官网网址檚 made more difficult by the differing expectations between employers and employees.

Some organizations offer workers the freedom to choose which days they go into the office.

Others have a set number of office days, with attendance varying from informal guidelines to rigid mandates.

B次元官网网址淓veryone is trying to find that happy medium or that hybrid work sweet spot to make this really work,B次元官网网址� said Maria Pallas, director of strategy and optimization for Lauft, a network of on-demand workspaces.

B次元官网网址淏ut everyoneB次元官网网址檚 not always on the same page.B次元官网网址�

Indeed, new research has uncovered a disconnect between employee work preferences and the expectations of employers.

A survey by Cisco Canada released Thursday suggests that while employees increasingly expect flexibility, employers continue to see hybrid work arrangements as a perk.

The poll, conducted by Angus Reid in December, found that 81 per cent of Canadian workers want a flexible work arrangement B次元官网网址� and are willing to leave their current job to get it.

In fact, flexibility emerged as a top priority among workers polled, second only to salary.

But the survey found that the majority of employers were tightening hybrid work policies and ushering in mandatory office days.

The research illustrates a gap between employee and employer expectations as work is redefined in the post-pandemic era.

B次元官网网址淎t the highest level, thereB次元官网网址檚 satisfaction overall with hybrid work amongst both employees and employers,B次元官网网址� said Shannon Leininger, president of Cisco Canada.

B次元官网网址淏ut when we dig into the numbers, thereB次元官网网址檚 a tension between the expectations of employees and employers,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淓mployers feel like hybrid work is a benefit. Employees feel like itB次元官网网址檚 expected.B次元官网网址�

Workers seem to be resisting the transition back to offices for two main reasons: time and money.

Canadians who work from home save an average of 65 minutes a day normally spent commuting, research published last month by the U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research found.

For workers in bigger cities, remote work can sometimes shave as much as three hours off a work day B次元官网网址� time experts say can instead be spent on health and wellness, time with family and other activities that support a strong work-life balance.

B次元官网网址淲e know now what itB次元官网网址檚 like to be able to work a full work day and still be able to drop off kids at school and do a load of laundry,B次元官网网址� said Andrea Bartlett, vice-president of people at Humi, a company that offers an integrated HR services platform.

B次元官网网址淥nce people have experienced that flexibility, itB次元官网网址檚 hard to take it away.B次元官网网址�

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The Cisco survey found that women are more likely than men to value flexibility, with 59 per cent of women saying flexibility and choice in how, when and where they work was a top priority, compared with 51 per cent of men.

B次元官网网址淲hat I repeatedly hear from women is this feeling that I no longer have to choose between my family and my career,B次元官网网址� Pallas said. B次元官网网址淚 can do both. I can do well at my job and handle my responsibilities and serve my clients but B次元官网网址� I can be home with my family for dinner. I can pick up my kid from soccer practice.B次元官网网址�

Meanwhile, workers report saving thousands of dollars a year working from home, saving money on everything from coffee and lunches to parking and transit.

Research by Cisco released last year found that employees saved $11,100 annually on average working in a hybrid model.

To address the rising cost of living, some companies have considered offering workers a commuting stipend as part of a return-to-office mandate, Bartlett said.

B次元官网网址淪ome people left the city because the cost of housing just skyrocketed. What do you do if youB次元官网网址檙e mandating workers back to the office but an employee who used to live downtown now lives in Aurora?B次元官网网址� she said, referring to a town about an hour north of downtown Toronto.

While a company may have the legal right to determine where an employee works, the shortage of workers has empowered workers to have a greater say over their work arrangements.

B次元官网网址淲e have a tight labour force market,B次元官网网址� Leininger with Cisco said. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a heightened demand for skills B次元官网网址� organizations that offer a hybrid model with more flexibility and choice will reap the greatest benefits.B次元官网网址�

While one of the downfalls of mandating office days could be losing workers, experts say there are also risks to not having face time with colleagues.

B次元官网网址淔rom an employerB次元官网网址檚 perspective, there could be concerns about a loss of learning through osmosis if everyone is at home,B次元官网网址� Bartlett said. B次元官网网址淭hey might also be concerned that employees are less connected to what the business is trying to do.B次元官网网址�

Experts say finding the right hybrid work schedule ultimately comes down to what works best for both an organization and individual workers.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檒l be some trial and error,B次元官网网址� Pallas said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e figuring things out as we go. WeB次元官网网址檙e still in the dust-settling phase of a very abrupt and rapid change.B次元官网网址�

Leininger admits sheB次元官网网址檚 made some missteps.

B次元官网网址淲e donB次元官网网址檛 have it all figured out. IB次元官网网址檝e certainly made mistakes in my hybrid work model,B次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址淵ou need to experiment, course-correct and then try something different.B次元官网网址�

Brett Bundale, The Canadian Press

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