At 9:07 a.m., a manager sends a message on Slack: “Let’s tighten the plan. Circle back today.” In a home office, this results in a scramble. In an office, clarification might occur with a hallway question or quick sketch. Remote and hybrid work require managers to clarify expectations.

Flexible work is now significant in the labor market. A Gallup report reveals 52% of U.S. employees with remote-capable jobs work hybrid, and 26% work fully remote. Employees highly value flexibility. The National Bureau of Economic Research found workers would accept a 25% pay cut for remote roles. Pew Research shows most hybrid workers prefer this arrangement, while many who rarely or never work from home want some remote work.

However, a Founder Reports survey of 1,000 U.S. remote and hybrid employees highlights management issues. Eighty-five percent stress the importance of clear communication from managers, yet only 51% perceive their manager provides it. Merely 40% report receiving clear feedback. When proximity is unavailable for context, vague directions become costly.

Managers should shift focus from attendance to effective management. The solution lies in written clarity. Managers should describe goals, decision owners, deadlines, and definitions of success in shared documents, not scattered through meetings. This avoids unnecessary bureaucracy and ensures important context is accessible without guessing or remembering.

Managers must establish response rules. Employees should know the right communication channel for urgent matters, when silence implies “continue,” when decisions need escalation, and how quickly managers will respond. Clear rules prevent uncertainty and provide clear paths for stuck work.

Feedback requires consistent discipline. Gallup research shows 80% of employees receiving meaningful feedback weekly are fully engaged, irrespective of work location. Weekly check-ins can be concise: confirm priorities, address blockers, discuss a recent example, and agree on the next action. Consistency and specificity matter more than lengthy meetings.

Accountability should be differentiated from surveillance. Remote employees need clear standards, while constant checking suggests weak standards. When managers define output, deadlines, decision rights, and escalation paths, employees can act autonomously, with managers maintaining visibility on progress.

Managers must distinguish between coordination and mere presence. Certain tasks benefit from synchronous collaboration, whether in a room or on a call, while other tasks thrive with independent focus. Managers should plan collaborative schedules intentionally, leaving the remaining time for execution. This ensures office attendance serves a purpose beyond mere presence.

Evidence supports structured hybrid work. A Stanford-led experiment at Trip.com revealed employees working from home two days a week resigned 33% less often while productivity and promotion rates remained stable. This structured approach paired flexibility with an effective system.

Leaders deciding work arrangements must consider the job, team, customer needs, and the value of in-person collaboration. The true challenge arises after scheduling: Can employees understand priorities, ownership, timing, and measure success? Remote work exposes weak management due to fewer informal methods of resolving ambiguity.

Strong managers need to ensure enduring direction, timely feedback, and explicit accountability. This approach allows flexible work to foster loyalty and productivity, minimizing confusion and turnover.

Gleb Tsipursky, Ph.D., is the CEO of Disaster Avoidance Experts and author of books on AI adoption and leadership.

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