New corner office at home

These days, a new battle is emerging over “where to park” – not over where to park, but over who can work remotely and how often. As companies grapple with return-to-office mandates and hybrid schedules, decisions about who works where have become a flashpoint. Research confirms what many business leaders already feel: that inequality in remote work is growing. High-income and highly educated employees are more likely to have remote work options, while most others do not. For jobs that pay around $30,000, remote work is rare; For those earning more than $200,000, more than 30% offer part- or full-time flexibility. Many of the executives we talk to in our executive education programs cite fairness (or lack thereof) as a major concern associated with working from home. Employees who are asked to come into the office feel that they are being treated unfairly, which makes them feel that they are being treated unfairly. It can undermine engagement and morale. In this new world, work will not be standardized, it will be personal. But with customization comes the challenge of maintaining fairness in increasingly customized work arrangements. How should organizations address this?

Overall, there is no shortage of feelings of injustice in the workplace. Everyone knows that people within the same organization often receive different salaries. Other benefits — such as health insurance or vacation policies — are also distributed unevenly. So why should who can work remotely be such a concern? What can leaders do to address this problem?

Research shows Who are more likely to accept unfavorable decisions if they perceive fairness in the decision-making process. In practice, this is difficult because fairness depends on many factors: (1) whether the reasons for the decision are clearly explained, (2) whether they are applied consistently, (3) whether people have enough time and resources to adapt, (4) whether their input is sought and taken into account, and (5) whether they are treated with dignity and respect. Even if most of these conditions are met, one or two unfair elements can strongly shape public perceptions of fairness.

When it comes to remote work, just point this one out He can Doing it remotely is not enough to justify it Why Someone gets this benefit. So, here are three key factors to ensure that ad hoc hybrid working arrangements receive broader support:

1. Explain how and why the new work structure (remote, hybrid, or in-office) adds value for everyone

Unequal treatment becomes more legitimate when it is seen as beneficial to achieving a larger goal. Leaders need to clearly communicate that remote work is a productivity strategy. This means a specific explanation of how working from home enables you to focus better, execute faster, or produce higher-quality output.and How do these benefits help the team or organization perform better overall?

Often, work-from-home arrangements are framed in terms of individual preference or convenience. Instead, they must be justified in terms of value creation. If remote working does not clearly contribute to better results, it should not be allowed. But when it does happen, employees — whether remote or in-person — deserve to understand why.

2. Involving employees in shaping hybrid policies

People are more likely to accept unequal arrangements when they have a voice in the process. Instead of issuing top-down policies, companies should engage employees – across roles, functions and ways of working – in conversations about what hybrid working should look like.

Conversations can take the form of surveys, listening sessions, cross-functional working groups, or even informal feedback loops. The gold standard for engagement is for employees to know that their views are heard It is considered serious. When employees see their views reflected in policy decisions, they can see firsthand that their input has been taken into account, leading them to view decisions as fair. The biggest challenge is to show people that their input is taken seriously into account even when it is not reflected in political decisions. When this is the case, leaders must provide reasonable explanations in a reasonable tone of voice.

3. Invest in truly improving the in-office experience

For those who have to be on location, hybrid work can seem like a tough deal. That’s why organizations need to move beyond superficial perks (free snacks won’t cut it) and focus on creating meaningful improvements to the in-office experience.

This could include better designed spaces for collaboration, clearer timelines for co-presence, or streamlined workflows that reduce friction and frustration. The goal is to make working in the office more productive and truly purposeful. Such changes are important for employees not only substantively, but also symbolically. After all, it conveys to employees that they are treated with dignity and respect.

Hybrid working is here to stay. But its long-term success will depend not only on technology or policies, but on the fairness of the planning and implementation process. By explaining decisions clearly, taking employee input seriously, and optimizing the work of on-site workers, leaders can build hybrid systems that look less like a split—and more like a shared enterprise.

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