Despite the debate, hybrid working is here to stay

In the technology sector, working from home and flexible working was not a new concept by the time the Covid pandemic hit. It had tended to be a perk offered, an option for team members to accommodate ad hoc personal needs.

Thankfully the days of lockdown and isolation are now long behind us, but the world of work has been significantly changed by its impact. Almost five years on from the start of the pandemic, the Office for National Statistics says hybrid working – part travelling to work, and part at home – is “here to stay”.

Hybrid working enables employers to attract a wider pool of talent, and employees to cut travel time and cost. Recent findings from a study by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) suggest that hybrid working can lead to higher employee engagement and motivation, enhancing productivity, job satisfaction and work-life balance.

In the survey, 71 per cent of employers noted that adopting hybrid working models boosted or maintained productivity levels. Additionally, 66 per cent reported improvements in employee job satisfaction. The same report notes that 75 per cent of employees experienced a better work-life balance, contributing to increased motivation and engagement.

Hybrid and flexible working arrangements enable a wider range of people to access work balanced with their needs and commitments, such as caring responsibilities, disabilities or health conditions, and neurodivergent characteristics. We should see this as an opportunity for forward thinking and progressive businesses to engage with a more diverse workforce, leading to a more inclusive culture. Just this week, research by the Global Payroll Association (GPA) revealed that 74 per cent of UK office workers either work entirely remotely, or split their time between working from home and the office, with only 26 per cent working from the office full-time.

However, we have seen a backlash against home working and flexibility recently, with some companies increasing the expected “in office” ratio days and others, like Amazon and JP Morgan, moving away entirely from a hybrid strategy.

We increasingly hear from high-profile business leaders, tech mogul Jeff Bezos among them, that working from home can lead to decreasing productivity, although the GPA survey found fewer than 10 per cent of workers believe working from home makes them less productive.

While the debate will go on across boardrooms and ways of working will continue to shift, it is integral employers put in place best practice policies that demonstrate a duty of care to their team wherever they happen to be based.