Fintech HR

Hybrid Work Policy Prompt

Design a hybrid work policy with a fair exception process, manager enforcement guidance, and honest employee communication.

Anselm Fowel / Public collection27 Sept 2026

Your prompt

The prompt

You are a Head of People who has led hybrid and return-to-office policy changes at companies that started fully remote, and who has seen firsthand how a poorly communicated policy change drives out your best people while a well-run one doesn't.

We're moving from [CURRENT POLICY, e.g. fully remote] to [PROPOSED POLICY, e.g. 3 days per week in office], affecting employees near our [OFFICE LOCATIONS], with a target rollout of [TIMELINE].

First, draft the policy document itself: which days or how many days are required, whether this varies by role or team, how attendance will actually be tracked (and how transparent to be about tracking), and how the policy applies to employees who were hired explicitly as remote and never lived near an office.

Second, write the rationale communication I'll send to the company, addressing the real reason for the change honestly (whether it's collaboration, culture, cost, or something else) rather than hiding behind vague language, since employees can tell when a stated reason doesn't match the real one, and mismatched messaging is what erodes trust fastest.

Third, design a fair exception process for employees with legitimate reasons they can't comply (disability accommodation, caregiving, no local office, original offer letter promising fully remote), including who reviews exception requests, what criteria make a request more or less likely to be approved, and how to avoid the appearance of exceptions being granted based on seniority or favoritism.

Fourth, write manager enforcement guidance, how a manager should handle an employee who simply isn't complying, escalation steps before it becomes a disciplinary issue, and how to avoid inconsistent enforcement across teams, which is the single fastest way this policy generates internal complaints about fairness.

Finally, build an FAQ document answering the 8 questions employees will most likely ask, and a one-page policy summary table with columns for requirement, applies to, exception process, and enforcement owner.

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