Every hybrid policy is evaluated through one question: Is this fair?

“It’s not that I mind working in the office…I just don’t understand why THEY don’t have to.”

We’ve heard versions of that sentence over and over again this summer. One of the strongest themes emerging from our hybrid workplace research is related to FAIRNESS.

Organizations are trying hard to balance employee preferences with business needs. That has led to all kinds of creative, and sometimes messy, solutions.

— One company replaced its signature “choose your own three office days” policy with “everyone comes in on Friday” after realizing Fridays had become an office ghost town. (Oh, and that included people specifically hired to work any 3 days they wanted.)

— Another office requires everyone to work in-person two days a week…except for the one employee who moved to Florida and now works fully remote.

— In another organization, in-office employees routinely absorb last-minute walk-in requests while their remote colleagues sign off at 5:00 sharp.

— And we’ve heard more than once about executives who rarely come into the office while expecting everyone else to be there.

None of these decisions are necessarily wrong. But every policy change, every exception, and every negotiated arrangement creates an opportunity for employees to question whether they’re being treated fairly.

That’s where trust is most at risk.