Future generations of office workers are 'overlooked' in battle over hybrid and remote working

To think five years ago working from home was almost unheard of. Now, you have people who won't even consider taking on a new role if it's not remote or at least hybrid. It goes without saying, many jobs require you to be there in person. However, the ones that don't have seen employees demand a work-from-home and flexible schedule.

There are concerns that the needs of the emerging generation of office workers are being "overlooked" in the debate over remote working. The comments come in response to figures that show an increase in people working from home post-pandemic.

TravelPerk commissioned research on 1,000 UK office workers that was carried out last month. It included those working in the office remotely across a range of industries and positions.

Only 30 per cent of people work entirely from the office now compared to 57 per cent before the pandemic. While hybrid working has become the most popular form of work in the UK, fully remote working has doubled from pre-pandemic levels to 8 per cent.

Despite a rise in remote working, the results also showed that workers recognise the importance of working in the office. In-person meetings were cited as important in fostering connections between team members by over half the respondents, with 43 per cent saying it helped productivity and creativity.

In general, the research showed that hybrid working is here to stay.

The chief of Unispace raised concerns about where a decline in office work leaves younger workers. "There is so much that cannot be taught to the emerging generation of the workforce in a rigid, virtual world," said Lawrence Mohiuddine, CEO of Unispace.

Mohiuddine, who leads the EMEA region including key studios in Amsterdam, Paris, Zurich, London and Milan, is currently based in London. He added: "The tips and tricks of the trade picked up from over-hearing more experienced peers in the office or handed down in passing conversations in the corridor are invaluable, and younger demographics recognise this"

Mohiuddine believes that the battle over remote working needs to be resolved for the benefit of future generations.

The CEO went on to add: "What is perhaps being overlooked is just who is potentially missing out while the alleged power struggle continues, and that is our future talent pools."

His comments are, in part, based on evidence that came from UniSpace's own research on the subject back in 2022. It found that workers aged 18 to 34 were the most keen on working in the office either full-time or in a hybrid model.

The age group cited in-person collaboration and connections as one of the key reasons they supported working in the office. The study revealed that 81 per cent of those in the 18 to 34 age group feel disconnected from colleagues in a remote environment, higher than the average across all age groups.

However, separate research by business finance lender, Sonovate, has shown that more than half of the same age demographic did not believe they need to be in an office full time to learn the necessary skills. This chimes with the most recent TravelPerk research which showed 72 per cent said they were generally happy. Only 3 per cent wanted to spend more time in the office.

A reduction in commuting time and better work-life balance were cited as the top reasons for people to favour hybrid working.

The main disadvantages were linked to a lack of interaction and a sense of disconnection from colleagues. Respondents also listed the distractions of home life as an issue.

Remote working became more popular during the COVID-19 pandemic. Strict regulations meant many people had to work from home.

Recently, employers have become firmer on mandatory return-to-office policies. Companies like KMPG, Starbucks and Twitter have insisted employees return to work.