Introduction
Hybrid/remote working is no longer just an option for organisations—it’s a defining shift in how we live and work. Yet many organisations remain caught between outdated assumptions and evolving employee expectations. This paper explores the enduring debate, the proven business case, and the roadblocks ahead. It highlights the unique opportunity for countries like Ireland to lead. Most importantly, it offers practical guidance for leaders ready to shape a smarter, more inclusive future of work.
Why is there still a debate?
The ongoing debate around remote and hybrid work stems from several factors—from resistance to change (“this isn’t how we used to do things”) to concerns about social connection in a world of video calls. But the real question is: what does the future of hybrid and remote work actually look like?
High-profile companies like Amazon have pushed for full office returns, and even Zoom has asked employees to come in several days a week—sparking understandable irony. Yet these headlines often overshadow quieter but more telling stories, such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reversing its return-to-office mandate after realising it could disrupt essential work like drug approvals. The truth is, remote work isn’t a passing phase—it’s stabilising, despite some ongoing turbulence.
The most comprehensive data comes from the U.S., where economist Nick Bloom of Stanford has studied remote work for over 20 years. As co-founder of the Work From Home Research platform, his analysis draws from three independent sources: employee surveys, office swipe card data, and mobile phone tower activity during work hours. All three point to the same trend—remote work has held steady at around 25% since 2023 across major Western economies. While your personal experience may differ, the global trend is clear: hybrid and remote work are not a temporary experiment—they’re a permanent feature of modern work.
The Business Case for Flexible Working
It may be here to stay, but the road ahead will still be bumpy for some time. If we take a longer-term view—beyond the first turbulent 10 to 15 years post-Covid—the business case for remote and hybrid working holds strong. It typically rests on four key pillars.
Productivity
Productivity is often the first argument raised, but it’s also the most contested. Measuring knowledge work is notoriously difficult—how do you quantify the value of an hour spent networking, mentoring, or chatting to a work colleague about a personal issue? That said, what we do know is that remote and hybrid work eliminates commuting time, and studies show employees are redistributing this saved time roughly evenly—half for personal use and half reinvested into work. While we should be cautious about sweeping claims, there’s growing evidence that well-managed hybrid teams can be just as, if not more, productive
Real Estate Savings: Most organisations still hold long-term leases and are accustomed to centralised workplaces, which makes change slow. Understandably, if office space is a sunk cost, leaders feel pressure to see it used. However, the long-term opportunity must lie in shifting real estate from a fixed cost to a variable one—using on-demand space for meetings, offsites, or collaboration, rather than maintaining full-time offices. Companies that start with a remote-first mindset avoid this entirely, but for those evolving into hybrid models, rethinking real estate can lead to significant savings and strategic flexibilityAccess to
Broader Talent Remote and hybrid models dramatically widen the talent pool. If everyone needs to live within commuting distance of a physical office, you’re excluding a vast number of potential hires. Even hybrid arrangements can be limiting in this way. Companies like Zapier illustrate the shift—they now hire in over 35 countries, bypassing the traditional tech hubs like Silicon Valley. This model not only improves access to talent but also supports retention by offering employees more flexibility in where they live and work.
Greater Inclusion: Expanding talent access also supports inclusion. A more flexible working model allows organisations to better reflect the diversity of their customers—more languages, more cultures, and more varied life experiences. It also makes roles more accessible to people who face barriers to traditional office environments, such as those with disabilities, caregiving responsibilities, or neurodiverse needs. Research shows that remote work is especially valued by women and underrepresented groups, making it a powerful lever for improving equity, retention, and overall organisational culture. The challenge is that greater inclusion doesn’t come from hiring more diverse talent alone—it also requires a cultural shift.
Work from Anywhere vs. Work from Home
“Work from home” and “work from anywhere” are often used interchangeably, but they represent different models. Work from home typically means working remotely from your primary residence, often within commuting distance of an office. Work from anywhere, on the other hand, offers true geographic flexibility—employees can choose where to live, regardless of office location or even national borders.
A good example is MobSquad, a company that helps skilled tech workers whose U.S. visas have been denied relocate to Canada, where they can continue working for their U.S.-based employers. MobSquad provides co-working space, sets up virtual Canadian subsidiaries for client companies, manages immigration, and supports resettlement—demonstrating a new model of remote work that goes beyond home offices and national boundaries.
Hybrid and Remote Work Is No Longer Just for Office Jobs
Work from anywhere (WFA) is expanding beyond traditional desk roles. With digital twins—virtual replicas of physical systems powered by sensors, AI, and real-time data—industries like energy, manufacturing, and healthcare are enabling remote operations. This technology lets teams monitor and control complex environments without being on site.One example is Enerjisa Üretim, an energy firm, which built a digital twin of its network to address staffing challenges. Engineers now manage all 24 plants from a central hub in Istanbul. The model worked so well, the company now licenses its tech to other sectors, including in Saudi Arabia.
What’s Holding Us Back: The Cultural Lag
Organisational Culture
One of the biggest barriers to hybrid success is cultural, not technical. Many leaders still equate presence with performance, struggling to manage without physical oversight. While culture goes far beyond the office, most organisations have historically relied on physical presence to nurture it. Shifting habits shaped over decades is no small task. Tackling cultural challenges in a hybrid or remote world requires rethinking core processes—defining the office’s purpose, reimagining digital meetings, fostering genuine connections when together, and communicating effectively when apart. Fully remote companies have shown it’s possible, but change is never easy for those rooted in traditional methods.
Transversal Skills
Both employers and employees must recognise the increasing importance of broad, transferable skills such as communication, collaboration, and problem-solving. As AI continues to disrupt routine white-collar roles, these human skills become even more valuable. Yet many organisations risk losing ground, as remote work can weaken the informal interactions that nurture these abilities.
The Unmeasurables
We frequently undervalue the intangibles of work—co-workers, shared spaces, casual chats, and brief moments of empathy—despite their profound impact on our overall experience. While remote and hybrid work offer convenience, they can miss the human connection that enriches our work lives, aspects that traditional KPIs do not capture. There are far fewer one-on-one interactions between managers and employees compared to when we were all present in one office.
Digital Burnout
The boundaries between work and home have eroded, with many finding themselves on screen longer than ever. Instead of enjoying extra time for hobbies or self-improvement, much of the saved commute time ends up as additional screen time—scrolling, streaming, or working. Some adopt small rituals, like lighting a candle or using a dedicated work mug, to create separation; yet many still struggle to truly disconnect.
Tax and Compliance Risks
Remote work introduces legal complexities, particularly for companies not specialised in international tax. Tracking everyone’s movements is tricky, and just one oversight—such as an employee staying too long abroad—can create a “permanent establishment” risk and trigger costly tax issues.
Career Progression and Visibility
Remote workers often face proximity bias, where those physically present in the office gain more recognition, better mentorship, and faster promotions. Left unchecked, this can create a two-speed workforce. Organisations must rethink performance assessments to ensure equitable access to development opportunities and leadership pathways, regardless of location.
Data Security and Digital Trust
As employees work from varied locations on diverse networks and devices, cyber threats multiply—from phishing attacks to unsecured home Wi-Fi. At the same time, surveillance tools designed to monitor productivity risk undermining trust. Companies must strike the right balance between security, privacy, and employee autonomy to maintain both safety and credibility. On top of this, data protection laws may change if you are working inside or outside the EU, which again is problematic if your company is EU based but remote workers spend time working outside of the EU
What’s Ahead: The Next 10 Years
The next decade will see hybrid work shaped by powerful shifts. Younger generations expect flexibility as standard, not a perk—placing pressure on employers to adapt. AI and automation will transform knowledge work, making location less relevant and outputs more measurable. This will reshape job roles, team structures, and how value is created. Cities and office spaces will evolve too, with less daily footfall and more demand for collaboration hubs over desk farms. People will seek better work-life integration and with growing climate urgency, reducing commutes will become both a sustainability and talent imperative.
We are already seeing new models emerging. Over 50 countries—including Spain and the UAE, now offer digital nomad visas to attract remote workers. While still a niche group, digital nomads point to a broader trend: the decoupling of work from place. Governments and employers will need to consider how to support this shift—through tax frameworks, infrastructure, and policies that reflect a more flexible, borderless world of work.
Ireland’s Remote Work Opportunity
Remote and hybrid work offer Ireland a generational opportunity—not just to modernise how we work, but to rebalance where we work. By shifting away from a capital-centric model, Ireland can ease housing demand in cities, revitalise rural towns, and support more sustainable, inclusive growth across the country.
The U.S. city of Tulsa has pioneered a fresh approach: instead of focusing only on attracting companies, it offers direct incentives to remote workers. More than 4,000 families have relocated there under the Tulsa Remote programme, contributing to the local economy without displacing existing jobs. Over 50 other U.S. cities have followed suit, recognising that empowering people—not just businesses—can decentralise economic activity, bring life back to smaller towns, and relieve urban pressure.
Ireland faces a similar challenge: decades of rural “brain drain,” as young people leave smaller communities for jobs in Dublin or abroad. But with strong broadband and the right infrastructure, we can reverse this trend. Remote work means jobs can now come to people, instead of forcing people to move for jobs. This keeps talent, energy, and spending in local communities—strengthening schools, businesses, and social fabric.
Critically, remote work doesn’t always mean working from your kitchen table. Well-designed, community-based remote work hubs provide professional spaces for collaboration, networking, and focus—especially valuable in areas with limited housing or space. For Ireland to lead in this space, we need more than infrastructure—we need bold policy. This means supporting employers to decentralise roles, investing in rural digital infrastructure, and promoting community hubs. With the right strategy, Ireland can position itself as a global model for flexible, inclusive, place-based work—where geography no longer limits opportunity.
Challenging some of the myths of Hybrid Work
Myth: We miss out on serendipitous conversations
Do we actually have lots of great, unexpected conversations when we’re in the office? Some argue that the idea of these “serendipitous conversations” is a myth. Thomas J. Allen’s research, known as the Allen Curve, shows that we tend to interact most with people who are physically within 25 metres of us. If you’re on different floors, the chances of bumping into someone new drop significantly. In practice, this means that senior leaders often rarely meet junior or newer employees unless they happen to sit nearby. Of course, like all studies, the Allen Curve is based on general data—it doesn’t mean that some people aren’t naturally great at meeting others in the office, or that physical proximity always dictates who we talk to. But it does suggest that location matters a lot more than we might like to think.
Noreena Hertz, in her book The Lonely Century, also points out that people today are increasingly ignoring even the smallest social interactions—whether that’s saying hello to the bus driver, chatting with the barista, or acknowledging the receptionist. These small connections are being lost, not just because of remote or hybrid working, but because of how we use technology. Just look around when people are in the office and see how many people are wearing a pair of headphones.
Myth: There is an erosion of culture when people are not all together
People used to say that culture is what happens when the boss leaves the room. That was a pretty good way to describe how culture works in a company. But today, many organisations are struggling to answer a new question: What happens when the boss and employees are no longer in the room at all?
Too often, companies mistakenly think that culture is just about being together physically—like having drinks on Fridays, celebrating birthdays, or sharing small talk by the coffee machine. But culture is much deeper. It’s about the mission, vision, and values of the company, and how these are embedded and lived throughout the organisation. In this sense, it’s absolutely possible to have a strong culture in a fully remote organisation—it just takes different tools and approaches.
The challenge many employers face is that they’ve moved from five days in the office to hybrid or remote models, but they haven’t analysed how this may affect their culture. Without a deliberate focus on how to nurture and evolve culture in this new context, it can easily erode. Culture is no longer about proximity—it’s about intentionality.
Myth: Remote Work is just a Tech Phenomenon
While the technology sector has been at the forefront of remote work, many other industries have embraced it too. For example, the European Central Bank (ECB)—the second largest federal bank—has adopted a policy that allows employees to work from anywhere within the EU for 90 days and anywhere in the world for 20 days. This helps them compete for talent against major players like J.P. Morgan and other global banks, using flexible working as a recruitment tool. The legal sector is also joining in. Take Quinn Emanuel, one of the world’s most prestigious law firms, which has been ranked as the most feared law firm three years in a row. Their official policy: “We want to invite the best litigators to join our firm wherever their desks may be.”
Myth: Hybrid does not solve the problem of having to live close to the office for your talent
Hybrid working still doesn’t fully solve the issue of needing to live near the office. But what if, instead of weekly hybrid working, companies adopted a quarterly hybrid model? In this approach, employees might come together in person only once every three months, rather than every week. Companies like Atlassian, Dropbox, Nvidia, Reddit, and many others have embraced this idea. Atlassian follows a “Team Anywhere” and remote-first strategy where even its CEO visits the office only once per quarter. Of course, it’s not something that happens overnight—it requires thoughtful planning and piloting to ensure it works for both employees and the organisation.
Myth: It is easier not to work at home for those who don’t want to.
For those who work hard there is an argument that one has to be more productive at home as no one can see you working so the only thing they see is your output, you could argue that this discourages the ‘old world’ behaviour of employees who were visible but not always productive—flitting from cubicle to cubicle without getting much done, but remaining visible. For employees like that working from home may be a rude awakening! An employer recently shared that an employee was watching Netflix at her desk during lunch. She told the employee it wasn’t acceptable, though no formal policy existed. While watching a show at home over lunch might feel normal, the same behaviour in an office can appear unprofessional. These small cultural shifts highlight the need for clearer expectations in hybrid environments.
How Companies Must Evolve
To make hybrid and remote work truly effective, companies need more than flexible policies—they need a mindset shift. This means evolving how they lead, collaborate, design workspaces, and adopt new technologies. Here are some key areas where forward-thinking organisations must focus:
Focus on Outcomes, Not Presence
Presenteeism is a relic of the past. Whether in the office or at home, people can appear busy without being productive. What matters now is clarity of purpose, measurable goals, and mutual accountability. Organisations must build a performance culture rooted in trust—where output, not visibility, is the metric of success.
Redesign the Office for Connection
The office shouldn’t be a relic of habit—it should serve a purpose. Instead of adding a few video booths and calling it hybrid-ready, companies should rethink the entire layout around activities that truly benefit from face-to-face interaction: collaboration, mentoring, creative problem-solving, and building team cohesion. Observe how people actually use space and adapt accordingly.
Improve the Quality of Video Meetings
Bad meetings waste time—and hybrid has made this worse. Leaders need to model effective video calls: punctual, purposeful, and inclusive. Every hybrid meeting should be designed with equity in mind so that remote participants feel just as involved as those in the room. If a meeting doesn’t serve a clear purpose or is poorly attended, reimagine it—or remove it.
Create Meaningful In-Person Moments
Rather than vague “return to office” mandates, schedule in-person time with clear intent. Whether it’s for team bonding, cross-functional collaboration, or innovation sprints, these moments should feel valuable, not performative. Encourage full engagement by asking teams to step away from Slack and email during on-site days, making the experience distinct from daily remote work.
Support Managers to Lead in New Ways
Hybrid success hinges on how well managers lead. Many are still adjusting to supporting dispersed teams, maintaining morale, and driving performance without daily face time. Companies must equip managers with the skills, tools, and confidence to lead with clarity, empathy, and consistency—wherever their teams are based.
Communicate the Benefits of Hybrid Clearly
Hybrid work brings real wins: reduced commuting, greater flexibility, and better work-life balance. But younger or newer employees may not yet appreciate the benefits of in-person experiences—especially for learning, relationship-building, and career growth. Internal communications must help people understand why certain moments are in-person, framing them as opportunities, not obligations.
Embed AI Across the Business
The future of hybrid work will be shaped not just by location, but by how well organisations integrate new tools—especially AI. Companies should start embedding AI across functions: from boosting productivity and enhancing workflows, to transforming customer service and recruitment. This isn’t just a task for IT. It requires leadership from the top and adoption across every level, making AI part of the everyday rhythm of work.
In Conclusion – Time to Lead
The tension between employers and employees over the future of the workplace isn’t going away anytime soon. For now, employees feel they have the leverage to push back against rigid mandates—but that balance could shift quickly in the face of economic downturns. What’s important to recognise is that the future of work is unfolding, but we’re not there yet. This isn’t a problem to be “fixed” overnight. It’s a complex evolution that requires time, thoughtful design, and sustained effort.
Hybrid and remote work are no longer experiments—they’re core to how modern organisations operate. Business leaders must shift from passive allowance to active design, reshaping culture, leadership, and systems to support flexibility at scale. Governments can help accelerate this shift through investment in digital infrastructure, regional development, and inclusive labour policies.
Ultimately, the future of work isn’t just about location—it’s about trust, equity, adaptability, and opportunity. We can choose to shape a future that works better for more people, or cling to outdated models that no longer serve us. The opportunity is here. Now it’s time to lead.
