A new evaluation from the Workplace for Nationwide Statistics confirms that hybrid working is now the dominant type of versatile work for many individuals in Nice Britain. The figures, which cowl the interval from January to March 2025, present that 28 p.c of working adults now mix house and on-site work regularly – the best proportion recorded for the reason that ONS started monitoring hybrid working patterns. This compares with simply 9 p.c who work completely from house and round 55 p.c who’re completely primarily based at a single office. The remaining proportion are made up of these with no fastened administrative center or whose work places differ, resembling cellular or site-based roles.
The figures mirror the extent to which hybrid working has turn into embedded as a long-lasting legacy of the pandemic, significantly amongst skilled and knowledge-based occupations. Nonetheless, in addition they spotlight enduring disparities in who is ready to entry this fashion of working, with variations throughout age, revenue, occupation, schooling degree, incapacity standing and geography.
Age and occupation
Staff aged between 30 and 49 stay the most probably to work in a hybrid means, with over a 3rd on this age bracket following a combined sample of house and workplace-based exercise. This compares to 19 p.c of these aged 16 to 29, and 24 p.c of these aged between 50 and 69.
There’s a clear distinction between occupational classes. Virtually half of all staff in skilled and managerial roles now work hybrid, whereas these in so-called elementary occupations – resembling retail assistants, cleaners and guide labourers – stay far much less more likely to have entry to versatile working. In these roles, simply 3 to 4 p.c reported working hybrid, and round 90 p.c proceed to work completely on-site.
Earnings and schooling
There’s additionally a powerful correlation between revenue and entry to hybrid working. Staff incomes £50,000 or extra are greater than 5 occasions as more likely to work hybrid as these incomes lower than £20,000. That is partially because of the sorts of roles obtainable to greater earners, nevertheless it additionally displays variations in entry to expertise, autonomy and employer coverage.
Training degree seems to be a equally vital issue. Greater than a 3rd of individuals educated to diploma degree or above work in a hybrid means, in contrast with simply 3 p.c of these with no formal {qualifications}.
The ONS notes that folks in lower-income or much less expert roles are additionally much less more likely to be supplied any type of homeworking, with fewer employers offering the mandatory help or infrastructure. Consequently, staff in these teams usually have extra inflexible work routines and fewer alternatives for flexibility, even the place their private circumstances may recommend a necessity for it.
Incapacity and geography
Disabled individuals are barely much less more likely to work in a hybrid sample than non-disabled individuals, with 24 p.c doing so in comparison with 29 p.c of their non-disabled friends. This distinction is linked to the truth that disabled staff usually tend to work in lower-paid or part-time roles, the place hybrid working is much less widespread.
The info additionally highlights a regional and social divide in entry to flexibility. Individuals dwelling within the least disadvantaged areas of England are considerably extra more likely to work hybrid than these in probably the most disadvantaged. In areas of low deprivation, 32 p.c of staff are hybrid, in contrast with 24 p.c in areas of excessive deprivation.
This implies that hybrid working is extra prevalent in locations with greater concentrations of white-collar roles, and that efforts to increase versatile working extra broadly stay constrained by the construction of native labour markets.
An enduring shift
Whereas the whole variety of individuals working completely from house has declined steadily over the previous two years, hybrid working seems to have stabilised as the brand new regular for a big a part of the workforce. The steadiness between flexibility, location and productiveness continues to be formed by sectoral norms, employer expectations and job design.
The figures underline how hybrid working has matured right into a sustained pattern quite than a brief adjustment, with many organisations embedding it as customary follow. Nonetheless, in addition they reinforce the view that this shift has not been common. For giant elements of the workforce, significantly these in guide, service or frontline roles, the flexibility to work flexibly stays restricted.
