Mainebiz

O ne Mainer works the phone from her car, another sees more of her cat than her colleagues, and a third rarely sets foot in the state. Welcome to the new hybrid real- ity, where professionals split their time between office and remote work — increasingly out of choice rather than necessity, as in year one of COVID. e shift is reshaping workplace communi- cation in Maine and beyond, creating new opportunities — and challenges — for employees and employers. "Hybrid is not the future of work. It is how we work now," says Lisa Whited, founder of Portland-based consultancy Workplace Transformation Facilitation and a senior associate with New York- based Advanced Workplace Associates. "Work is work and what is important is communication and results, not where we are when we work." VO L . X X V I I I N O. V M A R C H 7 , 2 0 2 2 10 Gretchen Johnson, director of strategic partnerships at Preti Flaherty, works mainly from her home in Cape Elizabeth, accompanied by her cat, Rollo. P H O T O / J I M N E U G E R Working from home has made it ____ to balance work and personal life: ¢ Harder: 16% ¢ Easier: 64% ¢ The same: 20% Working from home has made me feel ____ connected to co-workers: ¢ Less: 60% ¢ More: 4% ¢ The same: 36% S O U R C E : Pew Research Center TELEWORKING PROS & CONS F O C U S WO R K P L A C E T R A N S F O R M AT I O N 'Water cooler talk' NEW TURN How hybrid work is changing workplace communication in Maine and beyond takes a B Y R E N E E C O R D E S

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