The vast majority of Irish employers will not change their hybrid working policies this year, according to a new survey from Hays Ireland, but a large proportion will require more physical office attendance from their employees than recent years.

Conducted between August and September last year, the recruitment firm’s poll of some 1,451 employers and professionals also indicates a strong emphasis from workers in the Republic on work-life balance.

Some 48 per cent of respondents expressed concern about their working hours and said they hoped for a change to improve their quality of life.

However, 54 per cent of employees said they would consider future job opportunities that did not offer hybrid working arrangements, suggesting a shift in employee sentiment towards office-based work, Hays said. Yet, more than two-fifths of workers said they would not accept a lower salary for a fully remote role, “underlining the importance they place on the benefits of a flexible work arrangement”.

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Overall, 38 per cent of employers said they would require more in-office contact hours from their workers in 2024 while 58 per cent said they did not anticipate their current hybrid arrangements will change over the coming year, suggesting there will be no imminent return to pre-Covid norms.

The research found that some 44 per cent of employees work in the office full-time while 41 per cent follow a hybrid model.

Employers expectations vary with 27 per cent mandating three days of physical presence, 20 per cent requiring a minimum of two days and 23 per cent offering full flexibility.

“As employees preferences shift, we see employers adapting their approaches to workplace set-ups. The report emphasises the significance of a healthy work-life balance and fostering in-person collaboration within teams,” said Hays Ireland director Maureen Lynch. There is, however, a “sense of optimism” in the job market with employers seeking to work with their employees to improve the working environment.

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