Undoubtedly, the pandemic accelerated the acceptance of hybrid working, turning what used to be a “nice to have” into a “gotta have” for employees. But a recent report by Cloudbooking suggests that employees from different parts of the world may have different views on hybrid working.
According to The Future of Work: 8 Trends in Workplace Transformation Report, there’s a noticeable difference between American and British workers’ perspectives on shifting to permanent remote work. Between 2021 and 2022, the percentage of full-time office workers in the UK dropped from 25% to 18%. In contrast, the percentage of full-time office workers in the US remained fixed at 31%. The report also shows that 17% of UK employees currently describe themselves as hybrid workers — more than double that in the US (8%).
Why are British and American workers divided on hybrid working?
While there is no definitive answer to this question, there are several factors that may contribute to British workers being keener on hybrid work than their US counterparts:
1. Cultural differences
Cultural differences between the UK and the US may affect workers’ attitudes toward hybrid work. For example, the UK has a stronger tradition of work-life balance and more generous annual leave policies, which could lead workers to value the flexibility that hybrid work offers.
2. Economic conditions
The UK’s ongoing labour shortages may force British employers to accept employee demands for permanent hybrid working. In 2022, the Bank of England’s governor, Andrew Bailey, admitted that skilled job seekers looking to join the central bank now expect remote work by default. Contrast this to the situation in the US, where employers like Google, which swiftly transitioned to remote work at the height of the pandemic, called employees back to the office starting the week of 4 April 2022.
3. Commute times
Commute times in the UK tend to be longer than in the US, which may make workers more interested in hybrid work as a way to avoid the stress and expense of a long commute. This brings us to the next point.
4. Public transportation
Public transportation is often more reliable and widely used in the UK than in the US. This may make it easier for workers to access their workplaces when necessary, and may make them more willing to work from home on days when they don’t need to be in the office.
5. Company policies
It’s also possible that companies in the UK are more open to hybrid work arrangements than those in the US, either because they recognize the benefits of this approach or because they have been encouraged to adopt it by government policies or industry norms.
Overall, many factors likely contribute to the greater enthusiasm for hybrid work among British workers, and it’s important to consider the specific context and circumstances of each country when comparing attitudes toward this approach to work.
One thing’s for sure: there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the logistically challenging and hugely emotional act of returning to the office tens of thousands of employees who have spent the last two-plus years working from home. Whatever their reasons for mandating a return to the office, global companies now have to consider a range of employee expectations to retain their workforce and build a unified global culture.
| Author: Jane Holmes Jane Holmes is the Head of Marketing and Communications at Cloudbooking, a workplace management software provider helping companies build human-centric, hybrid workplaces that improve employee experience and workplace utilisation. Socials: LinkedIn |
