UK employees increasingly defying office return orders, study reveals

UK employees increasingly defying office return orders, study reveals

In the rapidly evolving landscape of the UK workforce, a clear preference for flexible work arrangements has emerged. According to new research conducted by researchers at the Global Institute for Women's Leadership at King's College London and King's Business School, 58% of workers would either quit immediately or start looking for a new job if required to return to full-time office work.

The trend towards flexible work, including remote and hybrid models, is driven by employee demand for improved work-life balance, particularly among women, parents, and minority ethnic workers. This shift has significant implications for retention, inclusion, and workplace equity.

As of 2025, UK workers have a legal right to request flexible work from day one of employment. Over 90% of organisations offer some form of flexible working, including remote work and adaptable hours. Surveys indicate that 61% of UK workers prioritise work-life balance over pay, with around 63% doing at least some work remotely, and roughly 40–42% spending part of their week working from home regularly.

Despite employer pressure, half of organisations requiring minimum office days, commonly three per week, there is pushback as employees see flexible work as crucial to their quality of life, career prospects, and retention. Over one million workers have quit due to lack of flexibility.

Parents, particularly those with school-age children, have shown growing opposition to full-time office requirements. By the end of 2024, 53% of fathers with school-age children would quit or look for a new job in response to a full-time return-to-office mandate, up from 38% in early 2022. Just one in three (33%) mothers with young children say they would comply with full-time office mandates.

Employers are less likely to allow fully remote working, with a slight increase in the number of homeworking policies that permit staff to only work from home one to two days per week. Hybrid working has become established in the UK labour market, with one in four (25%) workers reporting working remotely at least three or more days a week.

The study, which analysed over 1 million observations from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and 50,000 responses from the Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes UK (SWAA), also found that Black and minority ethnic workers show higher rates of compliance with full-time return-to-office mandates.

However, rigid return-to-office policies risk creating a two-tier workforce and undermining diversity. Employers must balance the need for office presence—for collaboration, training, and engagement—with the demands for flexibility to attract and retain talent amid skills shortages. Tools like flexible work software and phased core hours are increasingly used to facilitate hybrid models while supporting productivity.

In summary, flexible work models have become essential in the UK, especially for women, parents, and minority ethnic workers. The trend entails ongoing shifts in workplace culture, retention strategies, and diversity and inclusion efforts. Employers must carefully consider these factors to maintain a productive and inclusive workforce in the post-pandemic era.

1. In the realm of health and wellness, as well as career development, UK workers prioritize work-life balance over financial compensation, with 61% expressing this preference.
2. The shift towards flexible work models, including remote and hybrid work arrangements, has significant implications for business, as employers strive to balance the need for office presence with the demands for flexibility to attract and retain diverse talent, particularly women, parents, and minority ethnic workers.
3. Despite the legal right to request flexible work from day one of employment in the UK, rigid return-to-office policies risk creating a two-tier workforce, potentially undermining diversity and inclusion efforts in the workplace.

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