by Mark Fallon, Director and Co-Founder at Coopman
Q1 2020 has changed the landscape of the white-collar professional for evermore. Before this time, the general working week of Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm was the ‘norm’. In the following two years up until 2022, it was predominantly ‘working from home’ (WFH) with a subsequent shift to a hybrid working model with 2 days in the office and 3 from home. Today in Q4 2024 and trending into 2025 the dynamic is changing once again with many companies completing a full U-Turn in their WFH policies and demanding their employees to return to office 5 days per week!
This begs the question: WFH – should it stay, or should it go?
Coopman in Q4 2020 ran a survey of 400+ white collar professionals in Ireland about working from home in the first winter of covid. Out of several interesting findings in this survey, the biggest fear from corporations at this time was ‘lack of collaboration’ and ‘loss of culture’ with employees not being present in the office environment.
Fast-forward to Q4 2024; this concern has come to fruition, with business leaders ‘feeling’ employees need to be in the office more to “be better set up to invent, collaborate, and be connected to each other” – according to Andy Jassy, CEO of Amazon, in September 2024.
There is mixed data on the advantages and disadvantages of WFH. Some claim productivity has dropped since its introduction, while employees who benefit from hybrid working feel more empowered, better balancing personal and professional responsibilities.
Numerous people in rural Ireland now support multi-national companies remotely. Without a commute, they can contribute more to their jobs. However, many are willing to travel further if fewer office days are required. Companies across Ireland are now increasing in-office days.
In terms of attracting and retaining employees, companies based in major cities may miss out on top talent from remote areas if they require full-time office attendance. Flexible remote work policies will impact the quality of talent they attract. Hybrid or remote options help businesses stay competitive in the talent market.
While studies have shown mixed results on productivity, some report up to a 13% increase in output from remote workers, though others suggest a drop in collaboration and engagement. Looking ahead to 2025, many large companies are expected to increase mandatory office days, while smaller businesses may stick to hybrid models. Employees unhappy with stricter office requirements will likely become seek more flexible employers, giving those companies a chance to secure top talent. Fully remote workers may face more challenges securing roles as the trend shifts toward in-office work.
As the debate over remote work continues, companies that balance flexibility with in-office collaboration will likely be best positioned to attract top talent and meet employee needs in Ireland for talent attraction and retention. Productivity remains a complex metric; while some studies suggest increased output from remote work, others highlight declines in teamwork and innovation. Organisations must carefully assess their policies to foster environments that encourage both individual efficiency and collective creativity, ensuring a sustainable future in the evolving work landscape.
