It’s been over four years since remote and hybrid working became the norm across the UK. Yet, many companies still seem unsure of how to make it work. Worse still, some HR consultants continue to treat hybrid policies as if they’re just about how many days a week someone sits at a desk.
The truth is, hybrid working isn’t about a schedule. It’s about clarity, communication, and intent. When done well, it can unlock performance, loyalty and trust. When done poorly, it does the opposite—and unfortunately, many businesses are still stuck in the middle.
One of the most common mistakes is to reduce hybrid to a rigid formula: “Everyone in on Tuesdays and Thursdays, optional Fridays.” It sounds tidy, but it doesn’t solve the problem.
Different teams do different work. Marketing might need more face time. Developers might thrive remotely. Senior leadership may prefer in-person strategy days, while support teams want predictability. A one-size-fits-all policy only creates confusion and resentment.
Take Stephenson Harwood, a law firm that made headlines in 2022 for offering employees the choice to work from home permanently, but with a 20% pay cut. The backlash was swift—not necessarily over the money, but over the lack of flexibility and trust it implied. Staff felt boxed in by rigid choices, rather than treated as professionals capable of managing their own time.
Even when policies are in place, execution is another matter. It’s not uncommon for remote workers to miss out on mentoring, informal recognition, or even access to opportunities.
According to a 2023 report by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), 43% of hybrid workers in the UK believed they were less likely to be promoted than colleagues who spent more time in the office. Proximity bias remains a major issue, and if left unchecked, it quietly erodes morale and ambition.
The solution is not more video calls. It’s deliberate monitoring of career progression and fair access to development opportunities—regardless of where someone logs in from.
Zoom, Teams, Slack—these tools are useful, but if communication relies entirely on tech, it becomes transactional. Over time, this erodes culture and collaboration.
Some companies have addressed this directly. For instance, Monzo, the UK-based digital bank, has created a strong remote-first culture by investing in transparent communication. Regular virtual all-hands meetings, accessible internal updates, and structured feedback systems ensure that even fully remote employees are kept in the loop and feel part of the bigger picture. It’s a conscious strategy—not a by-product of remote tech.
There’s been a strange trend of late: over-selling the office. We’ve all seen the pictures—beanbags, snack bars, collaboration zones—but the truth is, if people are commuting to spend the day on video calls, they’re wasting their time.
If the real value of in-person work is strategic discussion, team-building, or mentoring, then say so. Be honest. If the office is being used to paper over weak management or poor communication, fix that instead.
PwC UK learned this the hard way. After embracing flexible working in 2021, they started nudging staff back into the office more frequently by 2023. But the messaging lacked clarity. Without explaining why, many employees felt the change was arbitrary, leading to pushback and confusion.
One reason hybrid working still causes friction is that both sides misunderstand it. Employers frame it as a benefit they “allow”; employees treat it as a right.
It works best when both sides see it as a shared responsibility. Employers must offer flexibility with structure. Employees must deliver, communicate, and contribute to the culture.
A good example is Atom Bank, the UK’s first app-based bank. In 2021, they switched to a four-day work week—without reducing pay. Staff were expected to meet targets and collaborate effectively, but how they managed their time was up to them. The result? A 49% drop in absenteeism within a year. The message was clear: we trust you to deliver, and we’ll give you space to do it.
Hybrid work is no longer experimental. It’s the workplace reality for most professionals in Britain. The question is no longer if it works—it’s whether you’re willing to put in the effort to make it work well.
Rigid schedules, vague policies, and performative flexibility won’t cut it anymore. What’s needed is thought, trust, and clear intent. Get that right, and you’re not just offering hybrid—you’re offering a workplace people want to stay in.
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