Hybrid Working May Have an effect on Your Promotion 

May selecting hybrid working break your possibilities of getting a promotion?

As extra firms name for workers to return to the workplace, analysis means that staff who select to separate their time between house and the office would possibly face an uphill battle in relation to promotions.

Hybrid working continues to be a desire

Versatile working is much from a brand new idea. The hybrid working pattern first began to select up within the early 2000s, when house web connections have been dependable sufficient for workers to do business from home.

Nevertheless, it shortly gained widespread adoption following the COVID-19 pandemic, the place firms have been pressured to introduce distant working. This has led to a long-lasting change in how companies function, with many embracing a mixture of in-office and distant work as a everlasting fixture of their office insurance policies.

Since then, hybrid insurance policies have change into a favorite, with 41% of UK staff embracing this mannequin. Furthermore, 36% declare they really feel extra productive whereas working from house.

Employers are basing promotions on bodily presence

While staff are proud of the change and have seen the advantages of hybrid working, some employers have been much less receptive.

A examine by Robert Half’s 2025 Wage Information reported that greater than two-thirds (68%) of UK-based employers imagine that an worker’s bodily presence within the workplace considerably impacts their probability of a promotion. Companies based mostly in different European international locations, together with Germany (69%), the Netherlands (68%) and France (62%) additionally comply with the identical sentiment.

Nevertheless, the identical analysis additionally revealed that 73% of staff really feel they’re extra productive when working in a hybrid mannequin. Enterprise leaders have additionally indicated that they’re struggling to supply workers higher work-life steadiness whereas enhancing worker productiveness.

“Employers are clearly putting rising worth on workers being bodily current within the workplace and our information means that profession development may very well be hindered for individuals who want to proceed with hybrid setups,” Chris Lawson, Vice President of Everlasting Locations UK & Eire at Robert Half commented.

“If employees are made to really feel that they’re unable to progress as a result of they aren’t within the workplace on daily basis, they may merely transfer on. And most of the time, it is going to be the perfect performers or most in-demand professionals who will leap ship first – one thing that employers immediately merely can’t afford.”

Lawson added that firms ought to make significant working preparations to assist construct a very good firm tradition, handle a various workforce and entice the perfect expertise.

The underside line, in response to Lawson, is that “If persons are extra productive at house, they shouldn’t have restricted profession development alternatives, inadvertently or not.”

RTO mandates can negatively influence productiveness, analysis finds

Analysis by Skillshub revealed that RTO mandates have negatively impacted sure staff, most notably girls. Round 12.5% of feminine workers surveyed reported that workplace environments had decreased their productiveness ranges, whereas 13.5% of males reported the alternative impact. 

Additional analysis additionally reported that hybrid employees are sceptical about RTO mandates, with simply 44% agreeing that it makes them extra productive. Then again, 87% of employees believed “unofficial” and extra versatile RTO insurance policies – the place they aren’t anticipated within the workplace for a full week or perhaps a full work day – considerably enhance morale. Even with an official RTO mandate, 70% of managers have allowed workers to do business from home.

Frank Weishaupt, CEO of Owl Labs, mentioned: “At face worth, it could appear contradictory for managers to push for RTO mandates whereas additionally permitting staff to work remotely when it fits them.

“Nevertheless, it exhibits that regardless of managers valuing face-to-face interactions with their staff, they don’t wish to dictate their work schedule. Managers have to belief their group in order that staff can work the place they do greatest.

“It’s clear that RTO mandates solely bolster productiveness and morale when staff are given the flexibleness to be within the workplace when it is smart for them. They shouldn’t be used to easily observe particular person work habits.”

Whereas hybrid working stays a well-liked selection for workers, it may come at the price of profession development. With companies starting to prioritise bodily presence within the workplace when contemplating promotions, a disconnect between worker preferences and employer expectations is rising.

As organisations attempt to stroll the tightrope of productiveness and worker wellbeing, inflexible RTO mandates are more likely to undermine each morale and long run retention.