State of Hybrid Work Report 2024: All the Key Findings

Owl Labs' annual State of Hybrid Work Report provides important insights into current trends in the world of work. The 2024 edition clearly shows that hybrid and remote working are continuing to grow in importance, while full-time office work is declining. Here are the key findings in detail:

Hybrid and remote working on the rise

The numbers speak for themselves: the share of full-time office workers has fallen by 6% to 62% compared to the previous year. At the same time, 38% of employees now work hybrid or remote – an increase of 15%.

Hybrid working in particular is growing in popularity:

27% of employees now work hybrid, 4% more than last year

64% of German employees will work hybrid in 2024, an increase of 13 percentage points from 2023 levels

Full-time remote work has also increased sharply:

In the US, it has increased by 57%

In Germany, 6% now work entirely remotely, twice as many as in 2023

Employee preferences

The study clearly shows that employees appreciate the flexibility of hybrid working and no longer want to do without it.

Only 2% would voluntarily go to the office 5 days a week

The most popular model would be 2 days in the office and 3 days working from home per week

23% would look for a new job with more flexibility if their employer no longer allowed hybrid working

Productivity and well-being

Contrary to some fears, hybrid working seems to have a positive effect on productivity and employee satisfaction:

88% of hybrid workers report being as productive or more productive than in the office

Hybrid workers are 15% less likely to experience burnout symptoms than their in-office colleagues

48% of hybrid and remote workers felt more energized in 2023 than in the previous year

Trend toward structured hybrid models

Many organizations are adopting structured hybrid models to balance flexibility and collaboration:

37% of U.S. organizations use a structured hybrid model

71% of those use a “minimum days-per-week” format

On average, employees in these models spend 2.49 days per week in the office

Challenges and solutions

Despite the many advantages, hybrid working also brings challenges:

31% of German companies have changed their remote or hybrid working policies in the last year

Employers such as SAP, Amazon and Deutsche Bank have introduced stricter attendance requirements

To attract employees to the office, many companies are offering incentives:

91% of employees would be willing to come into the office more often if the right benefits were offered

16% would expect a pay rise if they were no longer able to work hybrid or remotely

Flexibility is the key to success

The data from the State of Hybrid Work Report 2024 clearly shows that hybrid and flexible working is not a temporary phenomenon, but the future of the world of work. Companies that offer their employees flexibility and autonomy in choosing where they work benefit from higher productivity, employee satisfaction and loyalty.

To stay ahead of the competition for talent, employers should not only enable hybrid working models, but actively promote and optimize them. The key is to find the right balance between flexibility and structured collaboration. With the right strategies and technologies, companies can fully exploit the advantages of hybrid working and prepare for the working world of tomorrow.