Updated / Wednesday, 23 Sep 2026
00:01
Half of large employers are expected to require workers to attend the office for a fixed number of days by 2027, according to a new report.
The research was commissioned by law firm William Fry and was conducted by Ipsos B&A with 404 Irish businesses.
It found that companies are moving away from unrestricted flexibility towards a more structured hybrid working model.
According to the report, 34% of large employers, those with 50 or more staff, already require a fixed number of office days.
The proportion operating with fixed attendance requirements is expected to rise to 50% by next year.
Larger employers are currently more than twice as likely to operate on a hybrid working model, with 62% doing so compared with fewer than 30% of small businesses.
Just 5% of larger employers anticipate a full return to the office within the next 12 months, and 4% over the next two years.
Across businesses offering hybrid working, three days in the office was the most common arrangement, reported by 33% of respondents.
The challenges of hybrid working cited by employers included accountability and performance tracking, team collaboration, social and cultural considerations, onboarding and training, and innovation and creativity concerns.
“The findings suggest that hybrid working is not being reversed, it is now firmly embedded in the Irish workplace, but how it is structured is becoming more deliberate,” said Nuala Clayton, Partner and Head of Employment, Pensions & Incentives at William Fry.
“Employers are looking more closely at what works for their organisation, their people and the type of work they do.”
The direction of travel is moving towards more structured hybrid models that try to balance these competing priorities for employers and employees,” Ms Clayton said.
