Hybrid working policy

  • Customisable to your needs
  • Helps you deal with staff consistently
  • Quick and easy to complete

A hybrid working policy sets out your business's approach to hybrid working arrangements. Hybrid working is a form of flexible working where staff split their working time between your workplace and working remotely (eg at home).

This policy allows you to set out which staff are eligible for hybrid working and whether you require staff to make individual requests for hybrid working arrangements. It also sets out what your expectations are of staff who work remotely and how your legal obligations will be complied with.

This policy will help to ensure that you are dealing with staff in hybrid working arrangements consistently, to ensure that such arrangements are mutually beneficial for your staff and your business. It’s also important to set out clear rules for hybrid working at the outset; this will help to avoid any issues arising later down the line.

This policy could form part of your staff handbook or it could be provided as a standalone policy. If you’re looking to produce an entire staff handbook, use our template staff handbook instead.

Q&A

  • When should I use this document?

    If you are an employer, you should use this document to put in place a policy to prepare for situations where your staff might request hybrid working arrangements, or where your business is moving to a hybrid working model either for some or all of your staff.

    Note that some of your staff members have the legal right to make a formal request for flexible working and you are under specific legal obligations in respect of those requests. For further guidance see our Q&A on flexible working requests and for a policy you can create to handle those requests, see our template Flexible working policy.

    If you want to produce this policy as part of a Staff Handbook, use our template Staff Handbook instead.

  • What does this document cover?

    This document sets out your business's approach to hybrid working, including which of your staff hybrid working is available to and whether staff need to individually request a hybrid working arrangement and, if so, how.

    It also covers how the hybrid working arrangement will work in practice, including how your staff members' split between working in your workplace and working remotely will be agreed and your expectations on your staff whilst they are working remotely.

    This document then covers different aspects of the hybrid working relationship, including:

    • how your business will manage its health and safety obligations;

    • how insurance and other legal permissions will be dealt with;

    • data protection and confidential information considerations;

    • the provision of equipment and company devices;

    • the position around working hours; and

    • how communication, sickness absence and performance management will be dealt with.

  • Why do I need this document?

    You’re not legally required to have a formal hybrid working policy in place, but it will provide clarity and transparency to your staff and will help to ensure that your approach to hybrid working is transparent and consistent.

    Equally, clearly setting out your expectations of your staff and your respective responsibilities whilst they are splitting their time between your workplace and working remotely will help to build a relationship of trust, which is vital for this type of working arrangement.

  • Where can I find out more?

    To find out more about how to manage hybrid working, see our Q&A on hybrid working.

    For guidance on how to respond to formal flexible working requests, see our Q&A on Flexible working requests.

    If you’re looking for a policy to set out how eligible staff can apply for formal flexible working arrangements, see our template Flexible working policy.

    If you don't want to introduce a formal hybrid working policy, but you do permit staff to make requests to work from home on an ad hoc basis, see our template Working from home policy.

    If you want to create this policy as part of a Staff Handbook, use our template Staff Handbook instead.

Related Documents

Related Toolkits

Redundancy toolkit

This redundancy toolkit guides you through the key steps you need to take to make an employee redundant, and provides a pack of the relevant template documents you are likely to need. You will find guidance and a pack of 9 supporting documents, including letters, notices and agendas, for each step of the redundancy process: Initial steps (considering alternatives and reasons for redundancies); Creating a redundancy pool, applying selection criteria and notifying employees; Carrying out a consultation process; and Making a final decision, calculating payments and terminating employment. It also includes a template letter to offer alternative employment to employees who are at risk of being made redundant. By using this redundancy toolkit, you will ensure that your redundancy process is fair and legally compliant, which reduces the chance of any employees suing you. The guidance in this redundancy toolkit also helps you to ensure you do not make redundancies in a discriminatory way. Use this redundancy toolkit to ensure you are legally compliant without the need for a lawyer.
Find out more
  • How-to guide: Redundancy toolkit
  • Redundancy - Letter warning of proposed redundancies
  • Redundancy - Selection criteria form
  • Redundancy - Provisional selection for redundancy letter
  • Redundancy - First individual consultation meeting agenda
  • Redundancy - Outcome of individual consultation meeting
  • Redundancy - Invitation to final individual consultation meeting
  • Redundancy - Final individual consultation meeting agenda
  • Redundancy - Notice of termination of employment
  • Redundancy - Offer of alternative employment

Disciplinary toolkit

This disciplinary toolkit will guide you through the process of handling a disciplinary matter. It includes a how-to guide and a pack of 16 relevant documents you are likely to need. You will find template letters, agendas and other documents which can be used at each key step of the disciplinary process: Investigating the disciplinary matter (including suspension of your staff member if necessary and appropriate); Attending a disciplinary meeting with your staff member; Taking disciplinary action eg written warnings or dismissal; and Providing an opportunity for your staff member to appeal your decision. The toolkit also includes a list of common disabilities, so that you can check whether you need to make any reasonable adjustments at disciplinary meetings. This toolkit will help you to follow a fair and proper disciplinary process, which reduces the risk of your staff member taking legal action against you in future.
Find out more
  • How-to guide: Disciplinary toolkit
  • Suspension letter pending investigation
  • Disciplinary investigation template
  • Invitation to attend a disciplinary hearing
  • Invitation to attend meeting to discuss sickness absence
  • List of common disabilities
  • Note taking template for disciplinary proceedings
  • Basic script for conducting a disciplinary hearing
  • First written warning for capability
  • First written warning for misconduct
  • Final written warning for capability
  • Final written warning for misconduct
  • Sickness absence meeting - outcome letter
  • Dismissal letter
  • Invitation to attend a disciplinary appeal hearing
  • Basic script for conducting a disciplinary appeal hearing
  • Letter to confirm outcome of a disciplinary appeal

Pregnancy and maternity toolkit

This pregnancy and maternity toolkit guides you through the steps you need to take when a staff member notifies you that she is pregnant, throughout her maternity leave, and when she returns to work. It includes a how-to guide as well as a pack of 10 relevant documents you are likely to need, including: template letters and notices to arrange the beginning of your staff member's maternity leave and return to work; template letters to arrange Keeping in Touch days; and a pregnancy and maternity risk assessment template. By using this toolkit you will protect your staff member's health and safety, maintain good workplace relations and reduce the risk of any legal action being taken against you.
Find out more
  • Maternity arrangements letter
  • Maternity - Amended return date letter
  • Maternity - Letter confirming sickness absence during last four weeks before childbirth
  • Maternity - KIT Day Letter
  • Employee notice of return from maternity leave
  • Letter to employee confirming dates of return from maternity leave
  • Pregnancy - health and safety letter
  • How-to guide: Pregnancy and maternity toolkit
  • Pregnancy and maternity risk assessment
  • Maternity - Employee notice of pregnancy and intention to take maternity leave
  • Pregnancy - suspension on health and safety grounds letter

Paternity toolkit

Please note that this toolkit has recently been updated. It can be used for employees whose child is due after 6 April 2024, or whose expected date of adoption placement is on or after 6 April 2024. If your employee's child is due to be born or placed with them before this date, this toolkit will not apply. This paternity toolkit will take you through the key steps to take when a staff member wishes to take paternity leave. It contains a how-to guide along with a pack of all the relevant template documents you are likely to need. This paternity toolkit can be used in a wide variety of situations, whether a staff member's partner is having a baby, they are adopting or they are having a baby via surrogacy. By using this toolkit, you ensure that you comply with your legal obligations, which reduces the risk of your staff member taking legal action against you and helps to maintain good workplace relations.
Find out more
  • How-to guide: Paternity toolkit
  • Declaration of eligibility for time off to attend antenatal appointments
  • Employee declaration of eligibility for time off to attend pre-adoption appointments
  • Employee declaration of eligibility for time off to attend antenatal appointments with surrogate
  • Paternity arrangements letter
  • Employee notice of date of childbirth
  • Notice of updated return date from paternity leave
  • Adoption - Employee notice of date of arrival
See all Toolkits