Further insights from the study reveal that 30% of employees work remotely at least three days a week. According to employers, individuals aged between 31 and 40 years are the most inclined towards remote work, whereas those over 60 and under 25 show the least preference for working from home.

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.”

It would appear, however, that employers are keen for their employees to return to the office, with 98% having implemented a measure to persuade their employees back to the workplace.

Which, if any, of the following have you tried to encourage employees to return to the office?

• Organised more on-site socials: 41%
• Made free drink and/or meals available: 40%
• Organised on-site wellbeing days: 38%
• Made access to in-person counselling available: 38%
• Offered access to a gym: 38%
• Made some office days mandatory: 37%
• Subsided transport/commuting costs: 34%
• None of these: 2%

The vast majority of the actions taken by employers have been to ‘encourage’ employees back to the office but a still significant 37% of employers have made some office days mandatory. 

Different employees thrive in different settings and what is best for one person may not be best for another. There are advantages and disadvantages of hybrid working and decisions will need to be based on what is best for the employee, weighed up with what is best for the business. Each business will have different needs for office-based and remote working and there are gains to be made from both.

Debra Clark says: “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.”

The support and benefits implemented to encourage employees back to the workplace have a further advantage of helping to support the four pillars of health and wellbeing. Access to gyms, in-person counselling, on-site socials, and subsidised transport costs mean that the physical, mental, social and financial aspects of health and wellbeing are all being catered for. What is vital, however, is that employers ensure these needs are met for home or hybrid workers too.