New research commissioned by Fórsa trade union suggests that remote and hybrid working arrangements are now firmly embedded in Irish working life, with workers increasingly viewing flexibility as a standard expectation of modern employment.
The research also challenges assumptions that managers find it difficult to manage hybrid teams, and that return-to-office mandates are necessary to improve efficiency.
Managers report positively on productivity and deadlines in remote working arrangements, while the research indicates employers risk creating retention problems through rigid return-to-office policies. The research also found no significant evidence that remote or hybrid working was damaging career development opportunities for workers.
The Fórsa members’ experience survey, conducted by Amárach research and attracting close to 20,000 responses, produced detailed findings on how remote and hybrid working functions in practice. Across most measures, respondents reported that remote or hybrid working performed as well as, or better than, fully on-site working arrangements.
Four in ten workers said they would look for another job if access to remote work was reduced, while just 28% said they would accept the change. Seven in ten Fórsa members who currently work remotely or in hybrid arrangements said they would consider moving role to retain or improve their current level of flexibility.
The findings also call into question assumptions that remote working is inherently linked to lower performance or operational difficulties. Across multiple measures, managers reported fewer problems among staff working remotely or in hybrid arrangements than among fully on-site teams.
The findings also suggest that where difficulties do arise in remote or hybrid settings, workers and managers do not necessarily view remote work itself as the root cause. Managers overseeing remote-working staff were less likely to report problems relating to deadlines, communication with external clients, or collaboration with colleagues.
For example, just 6% of respondents said meeting deadlines was problematic when working remotely, compared with 23% who identified this as a difficulty when working on-site. This is reflected in the finding that 86% of managers supervising remote-working staff said employees seldom or never missed work-related deadlines, compared with 73% among fully on-site teams. Similar patterns emerged in relation to communication and collaboration.
Fórsa said the findings suggest organisations may need to focus more on adapting management practices and workplace supports to hybrid working, rather than assuming a return to full-time office attendance is the solution to operational problems. More than half of managers reported receiving no management training in the past year, despite almost nine in ten saying they would participate in training if it were made available. The union has said that remote and flexible working arrangements must feature in upcoming negotiations on a new public service pay deal.
Commenting on the findings, Fórsa campaigns director Kevin Donoghue said the findings pointed towards a need for better workplace adaptation rather than a simple return to pre-pandemic working models: “The research suggests that where challenges exist, there are practical ways to address them through better management supports, clearer expectations and more effective workplace policies, rather than simply assuming the solution is a blanket return to the office.”
Workers still recognise the value of in-person collaboration, with more than half agreeing that improved teamwork can justify increased office attendance. The survey also found that collaboration and communication with colleagues function effectively for most workers in remote and hybrid arrangements.
Mr. Donoghue added: “Good employers will recognise the need to strike the right balance. The research suggests workers are looking for flexibility, fairness and trust, rather than rigid one-size-fits-all approaches.”