Businesses strive for balance in hybrid work models
September 12, 2025
If your business allows employees to perform their jobs under a hybrid work model, it’s not alone. Ever since the pandemic, many companies have sought to strike a balance between permitting some remote work while also requiring staff to come into the office (or another type of facility).
Data released this year shows that, by and large, businesses seem to have found a certain equilibrium regarding hybrid work. However, maintaining the right balance for your company will require a careful eye going forward.
Schedule control
Just this month, Gallup published survey results showing that, as of May 2025, 51% of remote-capable employees in the United States are working under a hybrid model. That’s a slight decrease from 55% in November 2024. Interestingly, during the same period, the percentage of fully remote workers rose 2% — but fully on-site employees also increased by the same percentage.
One particularly important issue brought up by the research is how much control a business asserts over its hybrid workers’ schedules. The data showed that the percentage of employees who describe their schedules as “entirely up to me” fell from 37% in 2024 to 34% this year.
How do most companies establish hybrid schedules? Gallup found that three main groups typically make the call:
- Employees themselves,
- Managers or teams, or
- Leadership.
The second option generally comes out on top, according to Gallup. More specifically, 91% of hybrid workers whose teams established their schedules described their employers’ policies as “fair.” That’s the same rate as employees who determined their own schedules. When leadership mandated schedules, the fairness rate reported by hybrid workers fell to only 73%.
Policy enforcement
Another recent report on hybrid work models is the 2025 Americas Office Occupier Sentiment Survey by commercial real estate services and investment consultancy CBRE. It polled companies across the United States, Canada and Latin America on topics that included “efforts to align workspaces with hybrid work models while meeting business objectives.”
Among the survey’s key findings is an uptick in the enforcement of hybrid work policies. In fact, 85% of responding businesses reported communicating an attendance policy to hybrid workers. What’s more:
- 69% of respondents measured compliance with their policies (up from 45% in 2024), and
- 37% of respondents took enforcement actions (up from 17% in 2024).
And those enforcement measures seem to be working. The survey found that 72% of respondents achieved their attendance goals in 2025 (up from 61% in 2024). Overall, the data indicates that employees averaged 2.9 days a week on-site, which is close to businesses’ reported expectations of 3.2 days on average.
Cost considerations
Along with determining and refining how you establish workers’ schedules and enforce your policies, you should carefully identify all the costs that accompany hybrid work. For example, even with fewer employees on-site, your business still needs to maintain office space.
Some companies are downsizing, while others are redesigning their layouts to accommodate shared desks and collaborative spaces. If you choose these alternatives, be aware of your lease commitments, maintenance and utility expenses, and renovation costs.
Supporting a hybrid workforce also requires secure and reliable technology. This typically includes video conferencing tools, cloud-based software, cybersecurity measures, and internet and networking systems. These expenses often extend to both office and home setups.
Beware of hidden costs, too. For instance, policy enforcement may cause your business to spend more on compliance-related technology, as well as training for HR staff and supervisors.
Clear and constant view
The surveys mentioned above, as well as other indicators, show that hybrid work is here to stay. Finding the optimal balance for your business depends on savvy scheduling, judicious policy enforcement, and a clear and constant view of the financial implications. We can help you assess all the expenses involved and align spending with productivity goals to ensure your hybrid model remains sustainable.
© 2025
