Amazon recently announced that it is ordering staff back to the office five days a week, ending its hybrid work policy. This follows a series of announcements from other large businesses asking their workers to spend less time working from home and more time in their physical workplace.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, organisations with staff working most of their time away from the office would have been considered radical. Yet, almost five years since the pandemic shut down the economy, hybrid working has become a significant part of work culture in the Ƶ.
According to the latest Opinions and Lifestyle survey from the Office for National Statistics, 28% of working adults are balancing time between the office and home.
However, differences exist in who adopts this practice, with hybrid work more common among individuals over 30, parents, and those in managerial or professional roles with greater flexibility. Higher education also plays a key role, with those holding degrees ten times more likely to work hybrid than those without formal qualifications. Conversely, younger workers, particularly those in hospitality and retail, tend to work fully on-site due to the physical demands of their jobs.
The adoption of hybrid work models has also provided significant benefits for employees, particularly in terms of time savings and personal well-being. Individuals who worked from home on a given day saved an average of 56 minutes by avoiding the commute.
This reclaimed time has largely been dedicated to activities that support physical and mental health, with respondents spending an additional 24 minutes on sleep and rest and 15 minutes on exercise, sports, and well-being compared to those who worked on-site.
Given the increased emphasis on work-life balance, these findings highlight a shift in how employees prioritise their time, emphasising well-being activities when the flexibility of remote work allows. Improved staff well-being has consistently been cited as a key motivator for businesses to continue or expand hybrid work models.
Companies recognise that by offering remote or flexible working arrangements, they can foster a healthier, more satisfied workforce, which in turn may lead to improved productivity and engagement. The increased focus on well-being underpins the growing preference for hybrid work and signals an ongoing change in workplace dynamics, where flexibility is increasingly seen as a vital component of employee health and satisfaction.
However, while hybrid work is becoming widely accepted, implementation remains a challenge for organisations. According to a recent article in the *Harvard Business Review*, there are three main issues that managers must address in organising hybrid work. In terms of scheduling, many organisations are setting specific remote and on-site days, such as three days in the office and two remote.
However, this can lead to abuse of the system, with employees either “coffee badging” (i.e., briefly checking in at the office) or using in-office days for personal tasks. To address this, some organisations have adopted a policy of "core weeks" announced in advance, allowing employees to plan for key in-office periods.
Another key challenge is building a strong organisational culture when people are rarely in the workplace. Reduced face-to-face interaction and the rise of virtual meetings often replace in-person conversations, leading to multitasking. In fact, even when people come into the office, there have been reports that some members continue to meet via virtual platforms.
Organisations need to tackle this by reframing attendance as an opportunity for colleagues to support each other, supplemented by team-building activities and meet-ups. Supporting employee well-being is also essential, and mental health resources, such as counselling and stress management programmes, help maintain overall well-being and productivity.
Perhaps the most critical issue is productivity and how to measure it effectively when employees are away from the workplace. Initially, stories circulated about software and surveillance being imposed on those working from home, but gradually organisations have realised that a trust-based approach works better.
Instead of minute-by-minute oversight, clear job descriptions, structured goals, and supportive check-ins foster accountability while preventing micromanagement. Organisations should implement clear performance expectations and regular feedback sessions, giving employees a platform to discuss progress and receive feedback, ensuring they feel valued.
As we finally leave the Covid pandemic behind, one of the consequences of that period of forced isolation looks set to stay.
Yet for it to work for everyone, hybrid work requires organisations to adapt policies that support various working needs, promote well-being, and foster inclusion. By emphasising clear communication, flexible policies, team-building, and structured feedback mechanisms, a more conducive environment can be created that benefits employees whilst creating a more balanced workforce for the future.
