More than half of companies continue to find it harder to recruit for on-site roles than remote or hybrid ones but the issue is not considered as challenging as in recent years, an Ibec survey of senior HR managers suggests.
The business organisation’s Workplace Trends and Insights report for 2024 finds the planned introduction of pension auto-enrolment next year has displaced employee expectations as the most common concern among 372 surveyed companies, with 56 per cent of respondents listing it as a major priority.
Statutory sick pay, enhanced revenue reporting requirements and the proposed introduction of the living wage were among the other concerns most commonly cited in responses.
Company policies regarding on-site versus remote and hybrid working also remains a key issues for firms as they look to recruit or retain staff.
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There is evidence of a shift back towards a requirement for full-time on-site working with more companies reverting to it. However many remain committed to remote or hybrid working, regarding it as an important element of their recruitment and retention strategies.
The latest report finds 31 per cent of the participating firms, almost two thirds of which are in the services sector, require attendance at the office at least three days a week while 26 per cent are now fully on-site and 14 per cent fully remote.
Almost a quarter (24 per cent) said specific requirements depended on either the role of the employee or their line manager.
Just 10 per cent of all participant firms said their current policies in relation to attendance were being fully complied with while a further 33 per cent said they achieve 70 per cent compliance or more.
Just over a quarter of employers (26 per cent) said they are considering increasing the amount of time they require some or all workers to be on-site while 21 per cent they were not. More than half, however, said they preferred not to say.
“Remote [or] hybrid working has been recorded as the most challenging development for organisations in recent years but shows a considerable decline in 2024, shifting from 63 per cent in 2023 to 47 per cent currently,” the report says.
“It’s not clear if this is because organisations have found systems that work for their business model or because this issue has been eclipsed by other factors such as increased regulatory obligations.”
Companies have adopted a blend of work models ranging from fully remote, hybrid, flexible and full time on site.
Ibec executive director Maeve McElwee said it remained a challenging time for businesses given the pace of change within the employment legislation landscape. She noted a number of national and EU business and employment regulations that either have or are due to take effect including the new Code of Practice on Remote and Flexible Working under the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023; increases in statutory sick pay; the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD); and reporting requirements under the Gender Pay Gap Information Act 2021.
“The introduction of pension auto enrolment in 2025 is most imminent and almost 6 in 10 Ibec members expect this development to have the greatest impact on their business,” Ms McElwee said.
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