Around 91 per cent of companies have employees currently hybrid working, with 98 per cent of employers implementing policies to encourage their return to the office, according to Towergate Health & Protection.
According to research, 27 per cent of companies report that more than half of their workforce are hybrid working. On average, nearly 30 per cent of workers do at least three days of work from home each week.
But the majority of employers are encouraging office attendance, with only 37 per cent imposing certain required office days. Employers have attempted to encourage employees to return to the office with 41 per cent organised more on-site social events, while 40 per cent have provided free drinks and/or meals.
Additionally, 38 per cent have arranged on-site wellbeing days, offered access to in-person counseling, or granted access to a gym. Another 37 per cent have made some office days mandatory, and 34 per cent have subsidised transport or commuting costs. Only 2 per cent of respondents have not utilised any of these strategies.
Meanwhile, employers found that people between the ages of 31 and 40 were the most likely to choose remote employment, while people over 60 and younger than 25 were the least likely.
Debra Clark, head of wellbeing for Towergate Health & Protection comments: “With so many people still working from home for at least some of the week, health and wellbeing support needs to be adaptable to all scenarios. Employers should look to offer as wide a range of support as possible and make it easily accessible from the workplace, and remotely, and we’re seeing more employers using employee benefit platforms to help with this.
“Many employers are still offering some level of flexibility over work locations and the drive for a return to the office has mostly been on a voluntary basis. The important thing is ensuring that the employer is still able to engage with their employees, regardless of the work setting. Employee benefits and support will need to remain flexible and adaptable to both scenarios.”