United Kingdom
The way we work is forever changed. In Owl Labs’ 8th Annual State of Hybrid Work report, we'll uncover the latest trends and topics when it comes to hybrid, remote and in-office work.
Introduction
In the past four years, the way we work has undergone a revolution that shattered nearly 100 years of previous working tradition. Hybrid work proved to be a necessity, then it became a trend, and now for a majority of UK workers, it is considered the “norm.” While many saw it as a real opportunity for a work-life balance – among many other benefits – others argued that it instead created a new set of workplace issues.
Employers started offering new and improved benefits to draw employees back to the physical office – or so they thought. When that failed, some began forced “return to office” mandates. Employees, on the other hand, made it clear that flexibility would be a non-negotiable. We then entered a phase of quiet quitting and stealth management, with managers offering flexible work to their own teams to retain talent, often going against company rules. In other cases, employees started to get creative. Trends like polyworking and coffee badging emerged as employees wanted to maintain flexibility and keep their jobs.
This is where we have arrived for Owl Labs’ 8th Annual State of Hybrid Work report. We'll explore the latest trends, dive into what flexible work means today – to both employees and employers – and uncover the surprising factors shaping the future of work. Join us as we peel back the layers of the workplace, discover how to thrive in this ever-evolving landscape, and identify future trends that you’ll need to keep an eye on.
Key Findings
After our 2023 State of Hybrid Work report made it go viral, coffee badging remains popular with 39% of workers still participating in this trend, with 64% admitting they’ve been caught by their employers.
51% of respondents work in a hybrid format, compared to 46% in 2023 – a slight increase.
35% of workers are actively looking to change jobs, which is slightly up from 28% in 2023.
Nearly 1 in 4 workers (24%) are polyworking with at least one additional job.
Hybrid workers say they spend an average of £26 more per day when they work from the office versus remotely.
Over a quarter (27%) of workers have posted about their job or employer negatively on social media.
38% of workers said their employers' or colleagues' political opinions make them not want to go into the office.
21% of workers say they use AI tools daily, with an additional 14% of workers using them multiple times a day.
Work anxiety is on the rise with 38% saying their stress levels increased compared to last year.
1 in 4 workers (26%) said their company changed its remote or hybrid working policy in the last year.
17% of workers would expect a pay increase if they could no longer work in a hybrid or remote setting, and 28% would look for a new job that offered more flexibility in where they work.
38% of workers said their company added or increased use of employee productivity or activity software in the past year.
63% of workers say they “clock block” to protect their time.
Workcations or “quiet vacationing” may be on the rise, with 55% of employees working remotely from places besides a home office or coworking space.
66% of workers believe their employers are requiring them to work from the office due to traditional work expectations, up from 52% in 2023.
Nearly 1 in 5 workers (19%) are instilling greater boundaries by not taking on work outside of their specific job descriptions.
Current conditions
Section 1
A lot has changed in just one year. The push and pull of return-to-office mandates remain moderately present, job listings are now very clear on in-office requirements, and employees are willing to quit jobs either outright, or quietly, if their employers aren’t meeting their expectations.
Trends like coffee badging and polyworking still remain popular but we’re seeing new ones present themselves with regularity – in 2024, we’ve seen new trends emerge including the blend of work and social, coined #WorkTok, WFB (Work-From-Bed; formerly known as the “sick day”), “clock blocking" or calendar blocking (protecting your calendar with pretend meetings) and the “workcation.”
Despite anecdotal narratives that “everyone’s back at the office” now, we learned that over 1 in 2 workers (51%) are currently working in a hybrid format, up five percent from 2023, and 7% are fully remote, a one percent increase from 2023. Three remains the most popular number of days in-office for hybrid workers, with 35% of hybrid workers saying that’s how often they go, though only 25% said this matches their preferences.
Read on to learn more about the latest work trends and the current landscape.
How are workers working?
3 days a week is holding strong as the most popular number of days hybrid workers spend in-office.
But let’s talk about hybrid workers’ preferred number of days in-office:
Coffee badging is still popular among workers:
That said, employers are catching employees coffee badging. Are there consequences? Here’s what workers said:
47% of managers coffee badge compared to just 21% of individual contributors.
Workers also continue to polywork:
What are the main reasons for workers having an additional job?
29% of managers have at least one additional job compared to just 13% of individual contributors.
New Trends
Work-From-Bed
“Clock Blocking”
#WorkTok Tea
Office Politics
Where work meets vacation
As workcations are on the rise, here’s the full view of how many times employees have worked outside the office or home in the past year:
The employee landscape
Section 2
In 2024, workers continued to vocalise their opinions, desires and demands when it comes to how they work. With nearly half of workers (45%) believing that their employers are requiring them to work from the office to fill empty real estate, 26% saying their companies changed their remote or hybrid work policies in the last year, and increased stress levels from 2023, it’s unsurprising that over 1 in 3 workers (35%) are seeking new opportunities.
For some workers, their resistance towards going into the office comes down to pounds and pennies. Workers are still paying substantially more each day they go to the office than they do when they work remotely. Hybrid workers say they spend an average of £34 a day at the office, a 62% increase from £21 in 2023. The cost to work from home also increased, but slightly up to £8 per day compared to £7 a day in 2023. This may be why 17% of remote and hybrid workers said that if they were no longer allowed to work in a remote or hybrid format, they would expect a pay increase to make up for the additional costs.
Another trend that’s showing staying power is the value of the supportive supervisor, also called the “MVP manager.” This year, employees said a supportive manager (89%) is almost as important as compensation (90%).
We also learned that workers are over the commute. About 74% of workers spend up to 45 minutes commuting – and that’s just one way. Over two thirds of workers (69%) said they would be more productive at their jobs without a commute, and 30% of respondents said they would be more inclined to go to the office if they had a shorter journey.
Employees are (still) stressed and 88% haven’t seen any recent improvement. Compared to last year workers’ stress has:
An “MVP manager” was only second to compensation when it came to important factors at your job. More factors:
The top reasons why workers are actively seeking new job opportunities:
If they lost their hybrid work privileges, workers would:
How have working costs changed since 2023?
What’s in the £34? Here’s a cost breakdown:
Tired of the commute: The majority of workers (85%) are commuting up to 45 minutes each way.
If they could trade (or drop) their commutes, employers would get more productive, healthy and well-rounded employees, as workers said they would spend the extra time:
What percentage of their salaries would workers sacrifice to get certain benefits?
80% of hybrid and remote workers say they eat healthier food when working at home compared to when they work at the office.
The “workday workout” – some employees are staying physically active during the workday. 58% say yes and 42% say no.
43% of workers said that requiring them to work in the office full-time would make them decline a job offer. Other dealbreakers include:
The management landscape
Section 3
While employees navigated challenges over the past year, managers juggled the dual burden of their own stress and the wellbeing of their teams. Workplace stress has increased for all, but even more for managers, with their stress levels 37% higher than non-managers.
As for what’s stressing them out, their workplace worries have fluctuated since last year.
Managers’ concerns around team productivity have decreased since 2023. This year, 53% of managers say their teams are more productive when working hybrid or remotely, with an additional 27% saying work location doesn’t make a difference. Last year, managers said their remote or hybrid teams were 48% more productive, with 24% saying location didn’t have an impact.
Some proximity bias concerns have seemed to decrease since last year. Over a third (36%) of managers of remote and hybrid employees said their teams are missing out on impromptu or informal feedback, compared to 55% feeling this sentiment in 2023.
While many managers have gained more experience – and support – with managing different working styles, the concerns they have about their team members differ by work location. More than a quarter of managers (27%) are concerned most about IT support among their remote teams, but their top concern for in-office workers is overworking/burn out (24%).
We’ve shared the employees’ take, but the costs to employers can not be ignored. We know that employees want more compensation if they can no longer work hybrid or remotely. We also know that turnover, including the recruiting and onboarding processes of new employees, can use up company time and investment. Over 1 in 3 (39%) of employees said it takes 1-3 months to fully get up to speed in their job, and that is after they are recruited and hired.
Have employers changed their remote/hybrid policies in the past year?
Employers are making changes to their policies. In 2024 alone, employers have:
More than 1 in 3 workers (35%) believe their compensation is affected by their working location.
The vast majority (87%) of hybrid workers say they are just as, or more, productive when working in a hybrid format, but some managers don’t seem to agree. See below how managers view their team’s...
How long does it take to fully understand a new job?
Managers have different concerns when to comes to remote versus in-office workers:
Top 5 work benefits that would be most appealing in a prospective employer:
Do managers of remote/hybrid employees feel that their team is missing out on impromptu feedback and development opportunities?
Employees are feeling invested in their companies and jobs in a variety of ways:
Collaboration and the workplace
Section 4
Making the office a desirable place to work has seemingly become a growing challenge each year. Today, employees are now looking for more meaningful benefits and physical spaces that enable them to do their best work. In 2024, 91% of workers still say they can be convinced to go into the office if the right benefits are in place (down 1% from 2023).
A significant part of the office is in-person collaboration, usually taking place in meetings. Meetings are an essential part of most job functions and it can be challenging to hold effective and collaborative meetings when everyone isn’t in the same room. The pendulum has now shifted, with more workers having online or hybrid meetings (91%) than in-person ones (83%).
Meeting pain points range from technical difficulties to missing parts of conversations, either auditory or visually. About 3 out of 4 of workers (75%) said they’ve lost time and started meetings late due to technical difficulties, and 72% struggle to see everyone’s faces, and therefore miss visual cues. With 83% saying good technology was an important work factor (up from 72% in 2023), the technology that companies choose is only becoming increasingly important.
It’s important to understand that the office will likely never go back to being a one-size-fits-all solution. There are some tasks that can be performed more effectively at home versus at the office – a concept called task-based hybrid work. In-office activities that make sense? Over half of workers (58%) said meeting new people and 54% said mentoring.
Hybrid work has enabled the WFA (work from anywhere) movement but collaborating with employees across time zones can present scheduling challenges. Nearly 2 in 3 employees (61%) think starting meetings at 8 a.m. or before is too early. We also learned that 63% are “clock blocking” – blocking off time in their calendar to protect it from meetings.
Task-based Hybrid Work: Where do workers feel the most productive? It depends on what they’re doing.
What will lure employees back to the office?
Average number of virtual/hybrid meetings versus face-to-face meetings workers have per week:
While they have many benefits, hybrid meetings can also present challenges, especially when using outdated technology. Here are some of the top issues that workers face when attending them:
The tech (and generational) divide. Of those that love their hybrid meeting tech, 62% are Millennials, while just 4% are Boomers.
Meeting time - what’s too early?
Meeting time - what’s too late?
Do workers block time on their calendars to protect it from meetings? 63% say they do, here’s the breakdown:
Millennial workers block their calendars notably more than any other generation.
Hybrid workers tend to “clock block” more than in-office and remote workers.
Caretakers (60%) calendar block more than non-caretakers (40%).
Top physical changes happening in the office in 2024:
Of the companies that hired IT personnel:
Of those that installed new meeting room technology and AV equipment:
Changing attitudes towards work
Section 5
The cultural narrative around work is changing. Workers have begun to question the concept of “the way it’s always been” and haven’t been afraid to share these sentiments. In 2024, #WorkTok flourished as work-related TikToks gained popularity, and nearly 1 in 3 workers (27%) have posted negatively about their jobs or employers on social media, with 11% saying they have recorded conversations with their employer.
The majority of employees (66%) believe their employer is requiring them to work from the office because that is “how it’s always been done.” About half (48%) say lack of career progression is their biggest workplace concern, followed by not having the flexibility they want (45%).
Resisting hustle culture is another shifting attitude, with nearly 1 in 5 workers (19%) instilling greater boundaries by not taking on work outside of their specific job descriptions. About 20% won’t answer company communications outside of work hours, and 18% take a more laid-back, casual approach in the language they use.
Despite employee productivity (87%) being slightly higher than last year (84%), stress levels are on the rise. When asked why they feel disengaged with their work, 26% said they are feeling burnt out, 23% said they don’t feel fairly compensated and 17% said their mental health has decreased over the past year.
Proximity bias still remains a workplace concern, and we’ve seen a slight increase since last year. In 2024, 54% said they are more likely to ask the opinion of colleagues they physically work with over remote ones, compared to 52% last year. Almost half (49%) of employees think managers view those in-office as harder working and more trustworthy, slightly up from last year at 45%.
The most important factors in a worker’s job are:
The least important factors in a worker’s job are:
Employee behaviour is changing. Here’s what they noted:
27% of workers have posted about their employers negatively on social media. This includes:
Almost 1 in 3 workers (27%) have posted negatively about their jobs or employers on social media.
43% of employees are feeling disengaged at work – but why?
The top workplace concerns among all types of employees are:
Future trending
Section 6
Exploring trends inevitably leads us to emerging technologies that are infusing the workplace, from AI to augmented reality (AR) to virtual reality (VR). Over 2 out of 3 workers (68%) have used an AI tool to aid them in performing their jobs, with 21% saying they use them daily.
The interest in telepresence and AR/VR technologies in the workplace nearly doubled from 2023, with 34% saying they were interested in these technologies at work, compared to 18% last year.
Meanwhile, employee monitoring tools have become a growing privacy concern. Over 1 in 3 employees (38%) said their employers added or increased the use of employee tracking software in 2024. And 86% of employees agreed that it should be a legal requirement for employers to disclose if they are using these tools, with an additional 8% assuming that this is already a legal requirement.
The 4-day work week concept still remains popular with UK workers. When asked what would be most appealing in a prospective employer, 32% said a 4-day work week - only behind flexible working hours (35%).
Nearly half of employers have adopted AI technology to replace or augment employee roles.
How often are employees leveraging AI tools at work?
Employees who use AI tools may have different philosophies about them than their companies do:
Hologram meetings may someday be a reality, as workers are interested in telepresence devices:
In 2024, has your employer added or increased the use of employee activity tracking or monitoring software?
Should it be a legal requirement for employers to disclose if they are using employee monitoring tools?
Conclusion
In the 8th edition of Owl Labs’ State of Hybrid Work report, we explore the latest work trends, the shifting tides in the workplace, and what to expect going forward. Flexibility is key, supportive managers are a must, and employees – maybe now, more than ever – are seeking a true work/life balance. Thank you for taking the time to read our report, and we look forward to continuing to bring you this research each year as your trusted, go-to data source for the ways we work.
Reach out to press@owllabs.com with any press inquiries and questions.
Appendix: Background + Demographics
Owl Labs surveyed 2,000 full-time workers in the United Kingdom, ages 18+, at companies with 2+ employees. This survey data was collected in July of 2024.
Gender
Generation
Geographical Location
Childcare role
Company size
Role
Worker type
About Owl Labs
Owl Labs is the first company to build AI-powered, 360-degree video conferencing solutions for hybrid organisations. Its connected device system and Owl Intelligence System™ software make meetings more inclusive and collaborative by levelling the playing field between remote and in-room participants. The Meeting Owl® 4+ is the latest generation of the first WiFi-enabled, 360-degree camera, microphone and speaker that automatically zooms in on whoever’s speaking. Owl Labs has raised £36.8 million in funding and is based in Boston, with remote and hybrid employees all over the world. To learn more and explore the company’s research on the State of Hybrid Work, visit OwlLabs.co.uk.
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