Working in hybrid setup? Experts outline workplace etiquette

MANILA, Philippines — Since the COVID-19 pandemic, nothing has ever been the same again.

Even the way we work and play has been altered for life. Before the pandemic happened, people worked in a traditional workplace — an office, a physical one, where the bosses and the staff come to work every day, sit down for meetings, submit hard copies of project studies and other documents (sometimes in tandem with flash drives), and bond over lunch.

While some employees work remotely from home depending on their personal circumstances, Work From Home (WFH) was not the usual arrangement. But now, after the pandemic has officially ended, a big percentage of the work force has remained a WFH squad, thus creating a new work reality called hybrid workplace.

Half of the work force working physically in an office and half virtually present. An ideal situation to keep a basic work force on hand almost all the time. Unfortunately, being relatively new, this hybrid work force does not know yet how to fully conduct itself. There have been no guidelines in place prior to its application during the pandemic. And so, Poly, which is part of HP’s portfolio of hybrid work solutions, has partnered with Debrett’s, the renowned authority on modern etiquette, to ceate a guide for global etiquette in the hybrid workplace. It offers updated advice for the hybrid work era at a time when etiquette in the office—whether at home or at work—has never been more important simply because the hybrid working lifestyle looks like it is here to stay.

“The shift to hybrid work was so abrupt, we’ve not really considered how our behaviour should change to accommodate this new way of working. Should we be amending our behavior to make hybrid work and hybrid meetings feel more normal? Thinking about how to make hybrid meetings feel more natural will create an equal meeting experience, whether people are in the room or dialling-in from home, which can come down to employers providing staff with the right technology and training,” said Samir Sayed, managing director for ASEAN, Korea, Emerging Markets & Pakistan, for Hybrid Work Solutions at HP.

Liz Wyse, etiquette advisor at Debrett’s, added: “With people increasingly splitting their time between the office and home, how we conduct ourselves at work has changed drastically. It is clear that hybrid working offers many benefits, including greater flexibility and a better work-life balance. However, that’s not an excuse to let etiquette slip, and standards should stay the same regardless of where you’re working from. What’s the dress code when working from home? How do you eliminate distractions and present a professional façade online? This guide seeks to answer these questions so that both staff and employers can get the most out of a hybrid working arrangement."

The comprehensive guide offers insight into everything that has to do with working in a hybrid environment — from how to behave on video calls and how to dress yourself and check your background, to body language tips and the importance of eliminating distractions.

Key takeaways from the etiquette guide include:

• Give a "roya"  wave: Ending a video call can sometimes feel a bit awkward. To make calls feel more friendly and inclusive, you can soften the abrupt finality of pressing ‘End call’ by giving colleagues a goodbye wave.
• Avoid video motion sickness: Stay in a fixed position during video calls. Carrying your device around while you answer the door or wander around the office during video calls risks giving your colleagues a bad dose of motion sickness.
• No meeting munchies: You should try to avoid eating when you’re doing a video call. You don’t want people to focus on the contents of your lunch rather than what you’re saying. It’s preferable to eat before you join a meeting.
• Beware of the danger of diversions: Your home is full of diversions. Be it domestic chores, the garden or visits to the fridge – it’s all too easy to wander around doing jobs or making snacks, which ultimately distracts you from your job and impacts your productivity.
• Eliminate virtual background clutter: Indulge in a little set-dressing before your call. Evaluate your video background. Try to eliminate chaotic bookshelves, discarded clothing, empty take-away containers and distracting artwork. You want your colleagues to focus on you, not your background.
• Say no to stoic sickness syndrome: Do not struggle into the office if you are suffering from a cough or cold or anything contagious. Nobody will applaud your stoicism.
• No meeting multitasking: It’s inappropriate to multitask during meetings. An example is looking at your phone. It is also very bad form to carry on working while answering a call. Everybody will realize that your mind is elsewhere and hear the incriminating clatter of your keyboard.
• Mute your work mates: Noise in the office can be distracting when joining calls. It’s quite acceptable to politely ask your colleagues—or the people in your house—to keep their voices down and to turn down their radio or music.
• Dress for success: People will choose to wear more relaxed, comfortable clothing when working from home, but it’s important to be aware of the psychological impact of truly letting yourself go. Aim to dress as if you are in the room with other meeting attendees.
• Embrace long pauses: Don’t be alarmed by long pauses during meetings and scramble to fill such pauses with chatter. They are an invaluable way of giving people space to interject or expound.

On the part of the company, instead of giving everyone the same equipment, admin should understand how people like to work and collaborate, and also check out the spaces that they use when working at home —most importantly, their home office setup. This can be used to tailor the equipment provided, allowing employees to look their best, be heard, feel included and avoid distraction, regardless of whether they’re working from home or in the office.