Chinese online travel agency Trip.com Group on Monday launched its own “hybrid” working test, consisting of a mix of remote and in-office work, and will involve two control groups and several hundred employees. The test is meant to find out whether or not this form of working model can be used as one of the company’s long-term office solutions in the future.

As early as 2010, Trip.com Group started to experiment with home working for its customer service staff. The results showed that, for the half of employees who stayed at home, their productivity went up by over 20%.

The test this year includes staff from departments such as technology, products, business, marketing and administration. The test will last six months, running from August 9, 2021 to January 30, 2022. The employees of the mixed office experimental group will work from home every Wednesday and Friday.

After the completion of this experiment, Trip.com will analyze the impact of working from home on employee performance, team project progress, and the retention of staff overall. If the plan proves feasible, it is expected to be implemented to a wider selection of employees.