The way we work has transformed. What began as a temporary measure during the pandemic has evolved into a lasting and strategic way of operating. For many organisations, hybrid working has become a key part of their long-term workforce model.
In this blog, we explore how hybrid working has evolved, what it looks like in 2025, and why it continues to be a powerful driver of employee satisfaction, business resilience and inclusive working.
Hybrid working can help increase productivity and engagement as employees benefit from potential improvements in their work–life balance and reduced commuting time. Your organisation may also benefit from savings on overhead costs through managing office attendance, for example through hot-desking, thereby needing less office space and reducing spend on rent and utilities.
Offering hybrid working could enhance your ability to recruit quality talent who may not have been available to your organisation if the work was limited to a single geographical location. Studies show that people are willing to travel further for work if the frequency of travel is less.
What is hybrid working?
Hybrid working is a flexible working arrangement where employees work their contracted hours partly from your office and the remainder from their home. This allows your employees to benefit from the advantages of homeworking whilst you retain the interdepartmental, interdependent relationships that naturally flow from real-life interaction in the office or workplace.
It essentially provides a favourable position between full office and home working, where either option may not provide an optimum working environment for employees to thrive in all the time. ACAS conducted research in 2013, and found that homeworking started to lose optimum benefits after 20 hours per week in the home office. Productivity can stall or even drop when people who do not want to work from home all the time are forced to work from home, and vice versa for employees who long to work from home but are expected to work in the office.
A Timeline of Change
Just a few years ago, the idea of remote or hybrid working was limited to a small number of progressive employers. The pandemic changed that overnight. 
2019: The majority of organisations rely on traditional office-based work
2020: Widespread lockdowns force a rapid move to remote work
2021 to 2022: Businesses begin experimenting with mixed office and home approaches
2023 to 2025: Hybrid models become embedded in organisational strategies and workforce planning
2026 and beyond: Flexibility becomes a defining feature of employer brand, with hybrid, four-day weeks and personalised working patterns shaping the future of workforce design
According to the Office for National Statistics, around 40% of UK working adults now follow some form of hybrid model which highlights just how established it has become.
What Does Hybrid Working Look Like Today?
In 2025, hybrid working continues to evolve and looks different in every organisation. There is no one-size-fits-all model. Some teams operate on a fixed schedule with specific office days, while others offer full autonomy, allowing employees to decide where and when they work. What most approaches have in common is a shift in mindset, from location-based expectations to trust-based performance.
Common features include:
- Agreed anchor days in the office, used for collaboration, team building or client meetings
- Flexible home working arrangements built around individual needs and roles
- Increased reliance on video conferencing, cloud-based systems and communication tools
- A strong focus on productivity, outcomes and employee wellbeing rather than hours logged or physical presence
While many organisations have embraced this flexibility as a way to modernise and retain talent, there are still public voices including government figures and high-profile business leaders encouraging a return to full-time office working. They argue that in-person interaction strengthens organisational culture, supports innovation and builds connection between teams.
However, surveys consistently show that employees value choice and autonomy. Research from the CIPD’s Good Work Index 2023 found that 71% of UK employees view flexibility and work-life balance as essential to job satisfaction.
For many, the ability to balance personal commitments with professional goals has become non-negotiable, making flexible and hybrid models a key differentiator in recruitment and retention.
Hybrid working is no longer seen as a perk. For a growing number of employees, it is an expectation and a reflection of a modern, inclusive and adaptable employer.
The Benefits of Hybrid Working
Hybrid working offers numerous advantages for both employers and employees: 
- Improved employee wellbeing and mental health
- Better staff retention and reduced turnover
- Wider talent pools, including those outside commuting range
- Cost savings through reduced office space and utilities
It also fits within a wider movement towards reimagining the working world, one that challenges long-standing assumptions about when and how work should happen.
There is growing interest in the four-day week as part of hybrid and flexible working strategies. A recent survey by HR Grapevine found that nearly 48% of UK companies already offer some form of four-day working week, and many employees believe this model will become mainstream by 2030.
This is supported by further research from StandOut CV, which found that:
- 76% of UK workers believe a four-day week would improve their work-life balance
- 74% say it would support personal development
- 72% expect it would enhance overall job satisfaction
Additionally, 83% of those surveyed believe that the four-day week will become more widespread across the UK workforce in the coming years. These figures reflect a strong shift in employee expectations and a growing appetite for flexible, outcome-based working models.
At the same time, the use of AI and automation is transforming how work is delivered.
According to the CIPD’s 2024 report on AI and the Future of Work, more than half of UK employers are using or planning to adopt AI technologies to streamline administrative processes, improve efficiency and support decision-making. This allows teams particularly in smaller or resource-limited organisations, to focus more time on people-centred, strategic work.
Together, these developments show that hybrid working is not an isolated trend. It is part of a broader rethinking of productivity, inclusion and organisational resilience. The future of work is increasingly about flexibility, wellbeing and smart use of technology and organisations that respond to this shift will be better equipped to attract, retain and empower their people.
How could you introduce and manage hybrid working?
Set the right culture
Not all roles within your organisation may be suited to hybrid working, this should be made clear to employees and you should make it clear that not everyone may want to work from home.
Culture can often affect the identity of your organisation, so you want to ensure that this remains healthy even when people work remotely from each other. Part of the culture setting is to ensure the continuation of relationships and collaboration amongst colleagues. Where possible try and introduce a regular day where all employee attend the workplace, this time could be used for any collective training or meeting/update session with all employees.
Meetings
In the event that some people are in the office and others at home for a team meeting, the CIPD recommends that all participants attend the meeting via video conference. This is to ensure that all meeting attendees have an equal chance in speaking and contributing to the meeting.
Try to include some social times in meetings where you provide the opportunity to talk about anything other than work. Considering the social cohesion of the team and ensuring everyone’s meeting experience is the same aids the culture setting in your organisation.
IT and connectivity
After a few years of homeworking, most organisations have made adaptions to their IT systems to facilitate homeworking successfully. However, when employees work remote from each other, it is helpful to use collaborative tools, some of which are readily available, and to ensure your employees have access to the right software.
Connection and communication issues are often the most common issues homeworkers’ face, which can lead to stress and de-motivation among employees.
Management
Managing remote teams can be a challenging task for even the most experienced managers, your managers should have sufficient training and support to enable them to manage this effectively.
How Roots HR Can Help
If your organisation is reviewing or refining its hybrid working model, we’re here to support you. At Roots HR, we offer:
- Practical HR advice and guidance on implementing flexible working practices
- Help with reviewing or writing HR documentation, including policies, homeworking agreements and flexible working request processes
- Free access to our HR toolkits and factsheets to support good people practices
You can also download our free factsheet on handling requests for flexible working, available at:
www.rootshr.org.uk/free-resources/factsheets
Explore how Roots HR can help you make hybrid working work for your organisation.
Whether you’re formalising existing arrangements or starting from scratch, we can provide the tools and advice you need. We also offer a free one-hour HR consultancy call to eligible UK-based social sector organisations, giving you the opportunity to talk through your current approach and get tailored advice. Find out more at www.rootshr.org.uk/free-resources/one-hour-free-hr-consultancy-services
Hybrid working is not just a trend. Done well, it is a strategic advantage that enables people to thrive and organisations to grow.
