A study from Virgin Media O2 Business’ inaugural Annual Movers Index has revealed that 2023 was the year of the Great Office Return, with 40% of companies returning to a five-day office working week, despite more than half (55%) of workers experiencing public transport delays of an hour or more on their commute. 

In a context of rising living costs, companies have required their employees to return full time in the office and lose their Hybrid or WFH flexibility. This had financial consequences for employees who see their commuter costs rise at the same time. The financial impact is for all to see, especially as salaries have not risen to match those travel costs increases.

Although 92% of companies had some form of mandatory in-office policy in 2023, with 40% returning to a 5 days a week attendance in the workplace, it is not all the decision and will of companies alone. In 2023, there were 52% of workers preferring to work in the office and 39% going in more frequently than in 2022 (2024, People Management). This is actually driven mostly by younger workers with just under half (47%) more of 18-24 year-olds willing to come back into office. Another curious data from this survey is that Wednesday seems to be the favourite day to be in the office!

So is the situation cleared now for a full return to office for employees?

The answer is absolutely not.  Although the younger generations of workers are looking to be in the office more often, to fight the feeling of loneliness and get more social interaction which have much importance to them, combined with a  desire to grow and be visible for their career, other generations of workers have another take on it.

More than two thirds (69 per cent) of employees said they would start searching for a new job if they were told to spend more time in the office, a new People Management poll has revealed. 

Giving up the benefits of WFH and flexibility, when they know it has worked for them as employees, is difficult. And most who have moved for fully remote to Hybrid are yet to see or feel the benefits of returning even occasionally to the office.

One employee told us that most communications now, even in office, are done via tools like Teams, Slack, Zoom, Hangouts. Most meetings are still online, so a day in the office actually turns out to be the same as a day at home, with the difference of sharing a kitchen with your colleagues. 

That said, employees also said there were some advantages to spending more time in the office. More than a third (36 per cent) said it helped them with their weekly routine, while a quarter (26 per cent) found it helpful for brainstorming with colleagues. Additionally, 24 per cent valued the opportunity to have in-person meetings, while 14 per cent said the increased facetime with senior figures in their organisation was a benefit of coming into the office.

For the younger generation of workers, the need for visibility to senior management is very much fundamental to them and, in their view, to develop their career. It is also important for their wellbeing. While more experienced workers rely more on their performance and are more confident this is giving them the right visibility already.

So what’s the ideal approach between WFH, Hybrid and Office work?

There is no unique solution that works for all. One of the mistakes that impact a strong culture, as we believe at Nomad Global Hire, is to try to impose one system over the other. Companies must understand that everyone has a different reality and can perform at their best in different settings and environments.

Working from the office is important for social interactions and career visibility for some. But Hybrid is important for employees who want more choice and control over how they work and what they need to do their best work, while balancing their personal life. 

Hybrid and remote work has allowed a huge step towards better Diversity and Inclusion within the workplace. Parents can care better for their kids, adapting their working hours. People with crowd anxiety have been able to work more efficiently than in the office. For some it suits their working style better and they find they can be more productive without the office distractions.

This can be a challenge to companies but if they switch their mindset from looking at attendance to looking at Performance, then it can be done by building a circle of Trust between employees and employers, according to a Head of People in the FinTech industry.

Culture and Performance are the key topics here and companies need to prepare themselves better, by improving internal communications, standards and above all by training and preparing managers to face this reality of diverse workplace setups.