If there’s one (slim) silver lining to the pandemic years, it’s the fact that they made hybrid working more commonplace in some industries. For many, the days of being in the office full-time seem like a distant memory, with companies offering combinations of in-office and at-home work.

One recent study shows that 44% of employees prefer hybrid working. According to the ONS, only 4.7% of UK employees worked from home in 2019, but as of 2024, more than a quarter of employees do at least some work remotely. Whether it’s childcare, saving money on transport, living outside major cities or simply having time to put a load of washing on at some point in the week, there are obvious advantages to flexible working. 

But with a spate of big-name employers, including Amazon, Asos and Tesco, rolling out ‘return to office’ policies in recent months, the tide on hybrid working is starting to turn for some. Plenty of employees are resistant to these changes, though, to the extent that they might put in a request for continued hybrid working. But could continuing to work from home affect career progression?

According to a study by Robert Half’s 2025 Salary Guide, the answer might well be yes. The study reported that more than two-thirds (68%) of UK employers believe that physical presence in an office significantly impacts an employee’s chance of a promotion. By contrast, 73% of employees in the same study feel they are more productive when working with a hybrid model of office and remote work.

And return to office policies seem to be affecting women more than men. A recent study by Skillshub found that around 12.5% of the women surveyed said that they found their productivity levels decreasing in office environments. Meanwhile, 13.5% of men reported the opposite effect. There was also a difference in age demographics, with those under 35 most likely to view mandatory in-office policies as negative, and more than half of 18–24-year-olds saying they would quit their job if called back to the office.

Of course, just how flexible working policies are depends entirely on the employer; often, it’s down to the discretion of managers. But there still seems to be an unfortunate disconnect between employers’ desire for physical presence and employees’ preference for hybrid solutions.

Critics of return-to-office orders are quick to point out that if people feel that they are more productive at home, it shouldn’t affect their career progression. “If workers are made to feel that they are unable to progress because they aren’t in the office every day, they will simply move on,” says Chris Lawson, VP of UK & Ireland at Robert Half. “And more often than not, it will be the best performers or most in-demand professionals who will jump ship first – something that employers today simply can’t afford.”

Only time will tell if we’ll all end up returning to the five-day office weeks of old. In the meantime, roles with flexible working policies are likely to become the most sought-after.

Images: Adobe