Member Article

A major Ipsos report concludes that three days a week is optimal for key aspects of workplace culture and performance

Ipsos Karian Box has released a new research report highlighting employee experience of hybrid working.

Critically, the report provides empirical analysis into the impact that hybrid and remote working are having on employee experience, workplace culture and performance.

The report is based on a survey of a representative sample of 1,400 full-time UK office workers. It found that while most employees do not want to work full-time in the office, spending three days a week strikes the right balance for both workers and their employers.

It was found that two in five employees are currently working 5-days a week in the office - with 45% spending a mix of 1-4 days there. There were a whole host of benefits found in the hybrid model, among them, that those who spend three days a week in the office are more likely to have development conversations with their manager and generate new ideas.

Additionally, employee engagement is twelve points higher if employees spend three-four days in the office compared to working exclusively or mostly from home. Four days a week also brings about faster decision making and greater transparency, according to the data.

There was a human experience to the report as well, with 53% of 18–24-year-olds reportedly feeling always or frequently lonely and learning less critical skills if they work less than three days a week in the office.

As other studies have shown, employees reported commuting time and costs as the biggest barriers to being in the office more often.

Based on the data, the report recommends that three days a week in the office provides the ideal combination of in-person collaboration, innovation, and career development opportunities while still giving employees flexibility and a work-life balance.

Ghassan Karian, CEO of Ipsos Karian and Box, said: “In the responses to our survey, three days in the office came out as the optimum solution. It strikes the right balance that realises the benefits of office working for both employer and employee, while also giving individuals the ability to think, work and manage their home lives in a flexible way.”

As companies continue to navigate the future of work and hybrid arrangements, this report offers data-driven insights and practical recommendations. It provides a valuable contribution to the discourse, steering senior leadership teams to create the most fulfilling and productive work environment possible.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Lucie Hayes .