Workers, bosses still disagree on whether productivity increases from hybrid working

The productivity argument is the basis of hybrid working arrangements, with employers and employees often disagreeing on whether it increases or negates.

Hybrid working arrangements have been boosted into the public eye after the politicisation of working from home conducted by Peter Dutton, who proposed to recall all public sector workers back into the office five days a week.

The proposal failed miserably, with Dutton leaving the policy in the dust as he continued his election campaign. A key argument brought forward at the beginning of this policy proposal was that employee productivity tends to slip when workers are operating from home.

This clash played out in recent research carried out by Robert Half, where 63 per cent of employees believed that hybrid work has a positive impact on their productivity levels. Employers (39 per cent), on the other hand, have begun mandating in-office days (not necessarily full-time) for this reason, and another 40 per cent are planning to do so in 2025.

The majority of businesses (86 per cent) claimed that it is a challenge to provide work/life balance to employees while boosting productivity.

On the other hand, employees claimed that working at home has the “greatest positive impact on their productivity levels”. Adding to that, 53 per cent – who are on five days in the office – reported the mandate as having the highest negative impact on productivity of all ways of working.

“Hybrid work is the sweet spot for productivity, according to workers, as in-office and at-home environments offer them certain benefits,” said Nicole Gorton, director at Robert Half.

“Employers, meanwhile, recognise that the absence of in-person work hinders the collaborative culture that leads to increased productivity. The most successful organisations will be those that find the right balance between flexibility and accountability.”

Gorton claimed that there are numerous ways that organisations can increase their productivity rates without jumping on the RTO mandate bandwagon.

“The key takeaway is that one size doesn’t fit all. While some companies are resorting to tougher performance metrics and mandated in-office days, others are focusing on more holistic approaches like improved communication and workflow optimisation.

“Employers need to think about how they can adopt a flexible approach that caters to the business needs while keeping their workforce motivated and engaged,” said Gorton.

Gorton coined the situation as a “tightrope” for employers to walk but deemed the task not impossible if the correct strategies reinforced by the right motivations are implemented.

“With Australia’s productivity levels slowing down, employers and employees are seemingly at odds around what an optimal work set-up looks like,” said Gorton.

“While the majority of employees value hybrid or remote work, employers want to prioritise productivity and see in-office mandates as a way to accomplish this goal, while also continuously prioritising employee wellbeing to avoid burnout and retain top talent. It’s a tightrope walk, but it’s not impossible,”