Results from WTW’s 2024 Workplace Flexibility Pulse Survey
Mainstream headlines have been saying it for months: Employers around the world are increasingly expecting employees to return to the office after witnessing a period of high remote-work levels in recent years. On average, 31% of employees globally are now fully onsite, driven by employers’ belief that face-to-face interactions boost employee engagement (Figure 1). However, this shift has its contentions.
WTW’s 2024 Flexible Work Arrangements Survey, which included responses from more than 1,200 organizations around the world, indicates that, while in-person work is believed to enhance team engagement and strengthen corporate culture, employers also value remote work for promoting work-life balance and attracting specific talent profiles. This dichotomy creates a balancing act between corporate and personal needs that, if not managed thoughtfully, could lead to higher attrition rates.
Additional insights indicate a complex landscape in which the push for in-office presence is met with varying degrees of acceptance across different regions and job functions. For example, while companies in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada are advocating for more in-person work, they are seeing a preference among employees for fewer in-office days. This divergence underscores the importance of understanding the company’s culture when shaping flexible work policies.
Moreover, the data suggests that flexible work models aren’t just about where employees work, but also about how they work. Companies are increasingly adopting differentiated remote working policies based on job functions, recognizing that a one-size-fits-all approach is ineffective. As we delve into the key market highlights, these nuances will become even more apparent, offering a comprehensive view of the global flexible work model landscape.
Trends in onsite presence and remote policies vary across key markets. Globally, more than 50% of employers have formal policies requiring employees to be in the office for two to four days per week. However, the actual implementation varies significantly across regions (Figure 2).
