Can a hybrid workplace model save Dhaka from losing work hours?

If you are a working individual, you may have also complained about the terrible traffic in Dhaka when commuting to work lately. The persistent heat and terrible rain have exacerbated the situation. Bangladesh is squandering over 82 lakh working hours every day, according to a recent BSS News article. Dhaka's traffic congestion is expected to cost the economy $6.5 billion a year in lost productivity, fuel waste, and health costs, according to the BUET-run Accident Research Institute (ARI). This indirectly reduces the country's GDP by 6 to 10 percent yearly. 

Ahmad Saif, an employee from a tech-based sister concern of a well-known airline, claims that the gridlock and hours of waiting in traffic from Mirpur to Tejgaon-Gulshan Link Road wear him out and reduce his productivity. Not only him, but every worker will be aware of the pressing problem; this is not an isolated incident.

What potential solution is there for this issue? What are some strategies to increase output while decreasing time? The solution lies in the idea of a hybrid workplace. 

A hybrid workplace paradigm offers employees freedom and support by combining in-person and remote work. More autonomy and a better work-life balance increase employee engagement in a mixed workplace. Employers gain from developing a more dependable, productive, and healthier workforce.

Recent global surveys highlight that a significant majority of high-growth companies have adopted hybrid work models. An international survey highlighted that 63% of high-growth companies have adopted hybrid work models. In these transformative times, such strategies are not mere luxuries but necessities. A recent BBC report states that between 2020 and 2022, more than half of Iceland's workforce had accepted the offer of reduced hours, including four-day work weeks. By last year, Iceland's economy expanded by an impressive 5%, outpacing most European countries.

According to the research by Iceland's Association for Sustainability and Democracy (Alda), key findings into these reduced work hours paint a compelling picture. 62% of workers on reduced hours reported being more satisfied with their schedules. On the economic end, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) noted Iceland's strong economic performance, highlighting its exceptional growth rate compared to European peers, despite the global economic challenges facing other nations.

Is this model, though, relevant to every industry, and particularly in Bangladesh? According to Ahmad, this will be tremendously beneficial for tech-related businesses. "It will be more efficient for us to complete our task in three days while working from home for two days. This will save us time and energy and ultimately boost our productivity. Also, if offices coordinate and allow employees to attend in-person offices on alternating days, traffic can be considerably reduced."

It does, however, have some drawbacks. "It is not practical for production and sales-based businesses like us", according to A S M Sadman Sakib, Deputy Manager of Production at a reputable global corporation. "Even if all of our machines are fully automated, we still need to work in person. On the other hand, if we can develop a workforce capable of concurrently maintaining operations during our absence, we see the potential to transition to a somewhat hybrid approach."

There are a few drawbacks to working-from-home adoption. These include inadequate infrastructure, unreliable internet access, loneliness, excessive screen time, an unbalanced work-life schedule owing to irregular work hours, low employee engagement, and a decreased sense of camaraderie among coworkers. Conversely, it gives workers more freedom to spend time with their families and has also encouraged companies to realise that many tasks can be completed just as well from home. 

However, the question still stands: given the benefits and drawbacks of the hybrid workplace model in a city like Dhaka where traffic congestion greatly reduces productivity at work and costs time, could a well-balanced hybrid approach help to truly improve work-life balance while also increasing productivity? Time will tell.