Hybrid working arrangements continue to be widely adopted across UK organisations, with relatively few employers reducing existing flexibility around work location, according to the latest data.
Findings from Incomes Data Research (IDR) – surveying 70 employers across multiple sectors, covering more than 380,000 staff – show that while some reports have suggested a significant rollback in hybrid working since the end of pandemic restrictions, formal reductions remain limited.
Just under a quarter of employers surveyed have increased the number of days staff must attend the workplace, but overall hybrid patterns remain firmly embedded in workplace practice.
The median proportion of the workforce on hybrid arrangements is 50 percent. This rises to 81 percent in the not-for-profit sector and 70 percent in the public sector. In contrast, manufacturing and private services reported lower median levels of hybrid working at 45 percent and 31 percent respectively.
Of those eligible for hybrid working, just 2 percent opt to work fully on site, indicating that when given the opportunity, most employees take advantage of the flexibility offered.
Few employers revising hybrid eligibility or policies
IDR’s findings show that 76 percent of organisations have no plans to alter hybrid eligibility. Four percent of employers plan to reduce the number of hybrid roles while 3 percent intend to expand them. A small portion have already made changes: 9 percent reported a reduction in hybrid eligibility, while 7 percent said they had increased it.
Two-thirds of employers with formal hybrid working policies have not changed the terms of those policies in the past three years. However, 23 percent have raised the number of days required on site and 5 percent have reduced them.
A growing number of employers now have formal requirements on minimum attendance. IDR found that 63 percent of employers currently require a minimum number of in-person working days for roles that could otherwise be completed remotely. A further 6 percent plan to introduce similar policies.
Katherine Heffernan of IDR commented, “Our research in 2023 found that few organisations had a formal policy in place that stipulated how often hybrid workers should attend in-person, so it would appear that employers have been making greater efforts to formalise these arrangements over the last 18 months.”
Tuesdays and Wednesdays dominate hybrid working patterns
The most commonly required in-office days are Tuesday and Wednesday, with some employers also specifying Mondays and Thursdays. These days are also popular among hybrid workers choosing when to come in, with Fridays being the least selected.
Only 14 percent of respondents enforce fixed days for in-office attendance. In general, policies are being implemented with flexibility, including pro rata adjustments for part-time staff.
The median requirement for office attendance across all sectors is two days a week, while the average is 2.2 days. Private services report the highest attendance expectations, at 2.8 days per week (median) and 2.6 days on average. In contrast, the public sector records the lowest, with a median of one day and an average of 1.4 days per week.
Compliance with hybrid working expectations is generally high. Seventy-seven percent of employers said their staff attend in line with policies, while 16 percent noted attendance exceeded minimum requirements. Just 7 percent of organisations reported issues with under-attendance, with disciplinary or performance management routes typically used to address persistent non-compliance.
Minimal impact of hybrid working on pay or expenses
IDR’s survey also explored whether hybrid working has influenced employee pay or allowances. The research found no widespread impact on location-related pay, such as London weighting, and minimal uptake of financial support for remote work costs.
Where employers do contribute to home working expenses, the most common figure is £26 per month, in line with HMRC guidance. However, this remains relatively rare and has not become a standard practice.
The findings suggest that while employers are beginning to set clearer expectations and formalise hybrid policies, widespread removal of hybrid working is not taking place. Instead, hybrid arrangements are becoming a stable feature of the post-pandemic workplace, with most organisations balancing flexibility with operational needs.
