Hybrid working is not perfect, everyone in the office works great and everyone at home works great, but mixed into one meeting is not ideal.
One day per week in the office
SITUATION; One is required to be in the office every Thursday.
Potential compromise
The following shows a pattern where one is physically absent for 2 Thursdays per month,
denoted as #.
Cycle of 28 days:
w | t
t | f
mo. | s
| these days
s | s
| near the office
s | mo.
these days | and able to go on
f | t
able to work | office Thursdays
# | w
fully remote `--__
w `--__ t
`-----------------
t f
BUT staying inside EU
mo. s
to not bring company/customer data
s s
outside of the EU
s mo.
f t
# w
Here we have 2 consecutive office Thursdays in the office and 2 consecutive office Thursdays out of the office. These physical absent office Thursdays can be a day off or working remote.
This allows for 20 days away from the vicinity of the office and 8 days close to the office in a 28 day cycle (this is purely theoretical, since you probably would not travel on the friday but in the weekend). The goal is not to be away as much as possible, but as a thought experiment. It’s like having a car, which I use once a month; having the option/freedom to use it when desired.
Alignment is key
In the end, both the manager and team member should not feel discomfort on the topic of physical presence of the team member. Therefore clear boundaries and expectations should be agreed up front, clarity is needed at the start since loose policies - if applicable at all - need to be earned first.
If this privilege is granted, then do not abuse it. When near the office for longer, then be there on office Thursdays.