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The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance is a think tank dedicated to creating work environments centered on inclusion and innovative thought leadership. The Alliance empowers organizations with the tools necessary for advancing women, fostering flexibility, and retaining top talent.
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Action Step – Hybrid & Virtual Work Policies: Considerations in the New Workplace
The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility. Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center.
Our 2022 Law Firm Flexibility Benchmarking Study (“2022 Study”) found that hybrid/virtual work (80.9% in 2022 Study vs. 48% in 2019 Study) has significantly increased over the years. The pandemic enhanced acceptance of and demand for hybrid/virtual work. There are many provisions and considerations to keep in mind when drafting your policy. Below are the Alliance’s recommendations when creating your hybrid/virtual work policy…
Members: continue reading this Action Step in the Member Resource Center
To read this entire Action Step become a member of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance. To learn more contact Manar Morales.
Action Step – Reduced Hours Policies: Considerations in the New Workplace
The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility. Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center.
Our 2022 Law Firm Flexibility Benchmarking Study (“2022 Study”) found that the prevalence of formal reduced hours policies remained high (91.2% in our 2022 Study vs. 90% in our 2019 Study). Additionally, our 2022 Study demonstrated that other forms of flexibility have significantly increased since the pandemic, namely hybrid/virtual work (80.9% in our 2022 Study vs. 48% in our 2019 Study) and flexible start-end times (69.1% in our 2022 Study vs. 24% in our 2019 Study). The pandemic increased acceptance of and demand for hybrid/virtual work and flexible start-end times. While most organizations currently have reduced hours policies in place, these policies need to be reviewed and revamped to make sure that they still work effectively considering other flexible work and hybrid policies. Below are the Alliance’s recommendations for creating and revamping reduced hours policies in today’s workplace:
Members: continue reading this Action Step in the Member Resource Center
To read this entire Action Step become a member of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance. To learn more contact Manar Morales.
Action Step – Bias in a Hybrid Environment
The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility. Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center.
Many organizations have moved to a hybrid environment since the pandemic. The pandemic enlightened leaders and employees on the many benefits of hybrid work, including productivity, profitability, business continuity, work-life control, and wellness. However, a hybrid work environment requires responsibility, intentionality, and support to succeed. Bias is more likely to creep into a hybrid environment. Specifically, you must watch out for proximity bias, in which leaders favor workers that are in the office more frequently than employees who tend to work virtually. Additionally, a hybrid environment will likely compound other biases, including similarity bias, an affinity to people who have “similar interests, experiences and backgrounds,” and confirmation bias, the tendency to focus on information confirming beliefs and prejudices.1 Organizations, leaders and individuals must work together to interrupt these biases to create a successful hybrid environment:
Members: continue reading this Action Step in the Member Resource Center
To read this entire Action Step become a member of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance. To learn more contact Manar Morales.
1 Tsipursky, Gleb. “The psychology behind why some leaders are resisting a hybrid work model.” Fortune (June 8, 2021). https://fortune.com/2021/06/08/return-remote-work-hybrid-modelsurveys-covid/