Half of large employers likely to set fixed in-office days by 2027, according to William Fry Future of Hybrid Work report.

• 34% of large employers already mandate fixed office days, with this figure expected to rise to 50% by 2027.
• Large companies are currently twice as likely to offer hybrid working as smaller businesses.
• Productivity is the biggest influence on hybrid policy, while accountability and collaboration are the leading challenges for larger employers.
• Hybrid is not disappearing – just 4% of larger businesses expect a full return to the office within two years, with three days a week emerging as the most common model.

Half of Ireland’s large employers are expected to require employees to attend the office for a fixed number of days by 2027, as businesses move away from unrestricted flexibility towards a more structured hybrid working model, according to new research from William Fry.

The research, commissioned by William Fry, one of Ireland’s leading corporate law firms, and conducted by Ipsos B&A with 404 Irish businesses, found that 34% of large employers (50+ employees) already require a fixed number of office days, with the proportion operating with fixed attendance requirements expected to rise to 50% by next year.

The findings also point to a clear divide in how larger and smaller businesses are approaching the workplace. Larger employers are currently more than twice as likely to operate on a hybrid working model, with 62% doing so compared with fewer than 30% of small businesses (49 employees or less).

Nuala Clayton, Partner and Head of Employment, Pensions & Incentives at William Fry, said: “The findings suggest that hybrid working is not being reversed, it is now firmly embedded in the Irish workplace, but how it is structured is becoming more deliberate. Employers are looking more closely at what works for their organisation, their people and the type of work they do.

For larger businesses in particular, that is leading to clearer expectations around office attendance, driven by concerns around productivity, collaboration, accountability and culture. At the same time, flexibility and employee wellbeing remain important considerations. The direction of travel is moving towards more structured hybrid models that try to balance these competing priorities for employers and employees.”

Across businesses offering hybrid working, three days in the office is currently the most common arrangement, reported by 33%, followed closely by two days at 29%. Just 9% typically require four days and 5% one day, while arrangements vary for around a quarter of employers.

The move towards greater structure comes as employers weigh the benefits of flexibility against concerns about how hybrid working affects organisations. Employee productivity is the leading influence on hybrid working policy, cited by 37% of employers, followed by employee wellbeing at 33%, business performance at 27% and recruitment and retention at 22%. Among larger companies, recruitment and retention rises sharply to 40%, underlining the continuing importance of flexibility in attracting and keeping employees.

Larger employers also report greater challenges in making hybrid working effective. Accountability and performance tracking is cited by 42% of large companies with hybrid models, while 40% identify team collaboration as a challenge. Social and cultural considerations, onboarding and training, and innovation and creativity are each cited by 38%.

Employee wellbeing presents a further challenge. While the majority of employers do not identify particular wellbeing issues associated with hybrid working, 42% do. Isolation or loneliness is the most commonly identified concern, cited by 25%, followed by disconnection from teams or the wider organisation at 24% and burnout at 21%. Employers also point to concerns around employee learning, development, engagement and motivation.

Despite employers tightening attendance requirements, the findings suggest that hybrid working itself is unlikely to disappear. Just 5% of larger employers anticipate a full return to the office within the next 12 months, and 4% over two years.

Download the report here or on the image below.