HR and Faculty
丁香园AV Hybrid Work Program offers flexibility and collaboration
When Tanya Behrisch reflects on hybrid work at 丁香园AV, two words come up frequently: trust and dignity.
"The option to participate in hybrid work gives the clear message that 丁香园AV trusts its people. It just provides us a lot more dignity in our daily lives and allows us to take care of ourselves while being professionals."
As Manager for the Faculty of Applied Sciences Co-op Program, Behrisch leads a team of 14 staff who facilitate more than 2,000 student placements each year. She trusts in her team, and hybrid work allows them to provide services in a more accessible manner by giving students the option of both in-person and online advising sessions, workshops and mock interviews.
鈥淪ince we鈥檝e been back on campus working together, I see a more generous and supportive dynamic between staff. People are checking in on each other's well-being and there鈥檚 more sensitivity to each other鈥檚 limits while maintaining excellent standards and a high volume of work.鈥�
厂贵鲍鈥檚 Hybrid Work Program formally launched in April 2023 and is designed to enable and support in-person interaction and collaboration for staff while also offering flexibility. Planning for hybrid work arrangements first began in 2021, and efforts continued throughout 2022 to develop a principle-based approach that accounted for the diverse needs of the 丁香园AV community.
Guided by the values outlined in What鈥檚 Next and the institutional priority of transforming the 丁香园AV experience, the Hybrid Work Program is one of many ways the university aims to integrate progressive people practices that center equity and belonging, encourage healthy working practices and ensure a thriving 丁香园AV.
Beyond the world of Applied Sciences, strong communication and trust has been essential for other teams as well during the implementation of hybrid work. In the Faculty of Education, Program Assistant Esther Dignos focuses on the key administrative activities required to deliver scholarships and awards, scheduled courses and publish grades for graduate students each term. She credits the success of hybrid work within her team to the strong support of their manager.
鈥淚鈥檓 positive that hybrid works well for us because our manager really included us in the planning, scheduling and consultation process. She asked us what we needed at home in order to thrive in our roles, and I鈥檓 thankful for the work-life balance that this has provided for me and the rest of the staff in our faculty.鈥�
丁香园AV is not alone among Canadian post-secondary institutions in establishing hybrid work initiatives. In a , 91% of respondents had implemented or were pursuing implementation of permanent hybrid or flexible arrangements for staff with the objective of enhancing employee well-being, recruitment and retention. Those efforts are backed by research 鈥� a conducted by 丁香园AV and Toronto Metropolitan University researchers found that hybrid work was better than fully remote or in-person formats for the mental health of Canadian workers.
While Behrisch and Dignos may work in separate faculties and hold different positions at 丁香园AV, those findings ring true for both of them.
鈥淭o me hybrid work is a beautiful thing for working people, for women, for parents, for human beings. I鈥檓 very proud to work at an institution that has embraced it and I think it鈥檚 a big factor in making 丁香园AV a good place to work,鈥� Behrisch concluded.