According to the CIPD’s Flexible and Hybrid Working Practices in 2025 report, 74% of organisations still have hybrid working in place – down from 84% in 2023. If most employers continue to support flexible models, why are the headlines dominated by “return to office” mandates? And what does this mean for businesses, managers, and HR in practice?

Employers are increasingly voicing concerns about hybrid models. The most common challenges they cite are managers struggling to lead effectively at a distance, employees feeling less connected to organisational purpose, and a weakening of workplace culture — not to mention the growing suspicion of so-called “mouse wigglers” who give homeworking a bad name.

In response, policies are tightening: 65% of organisations now require staff to attend the workplace a set number of days each week or month, up from 52% in 2023, and a further 14% plan to increase mandatory office attendance in the year ahead. At the height of lockdowns, 41% of employees in Northern Ireland worked from home – yet by 2023, uptake had fallen to just 17.3%, the lowest of any UK region (Ulster University Economic Policy Centre (UUEPC).

Could homeworking, once seen as the future of work, already be slipping into decline?

The benefits of homeworking are hard to ignore. Employees consistently highlight greater flexibility, improved work–life balance, and relief from the daily commute. Employers, meanwhile, often see stable productivity levels and, in some cases, higher quality output – with UUEPC reporting that 44% of NI employers noticed improvements in the quality of work since the shift to homeworking. In a competitive labour market, hybrid options can also help organisations cast the recruitment net wider, attracting talent beyond traditional commuting zones. Add in the savings – lower overheads for businesses and reduced travel costs for staff – and it’s clear why homeworking remains such an attractive proposition.

Still, homeworking is not without its pitfalls. The CIPD’s 2025 report found that employers often push for more office time because they believe relationships are stronger in person (55%), collaboration improves face-to-face (54%), and employees are more engaged on site (47%). A third also believe that onboarding and training work best in the workplace.

If left unmanaged, homeworking can create as many problems as it solves. Some of the key challenges include:

• Collaboration and culture: Innovation and team bonding are harder remotely, while new starters can miss out on informal learning. 
  
  
• Oversight and performance: Without daily visibility, some managers worry about productivity, leading to micromanagement or a lack of accountability. 
  
  
• Isolation and wellbeing: UUEPC research shows 27% of employees struggle to switch off at home. 
  
  
• Inequality of opportunity: Hybrid working often benefits older, higher-paid, and degree-qualified staff, risking a two-tier workforce. 
  
  
• Data protection and compliance: Remote work brings obvious risks for confidentiality. 
  

So how can HR help organisations manage these challenges and maximise the benefits of homeworking?

Our role is to make sure homeworking delivers results while avoiding pitfalls. That means putting in place the right structures, tools, and guidance. In practice, HR should focus on:

• Defining the hybrid model clearly: Consult with managers and staff to agree what hybrid working looks like – whether that’s fixed office days or full flexibility – and communicate it consistently across the workforce. Purposeful office days should be used for collaboration, mentoring, and team culture. Quick win: pick a monthly in office day & publish a shared hybrid calendar so teams know which days colleagues will be on site together.
  
  
• Training managers to manage by outcomes: Equip managers to measure performance on results, not presenteeism. Set SMART objectives with each employee, agree outputs in advance, and review progress regularly through check-ins and coaching conversations. Where employees are not delivering, managers must act quickly – first clarifying expectations, then providing support. If performance still falls short, ensure every step is documented and follow capability or performance management procedures fairly and consistently. HR should guide managers to handle this transparently, without undermining wider trust in flexible working. Quick win: use a simple weekly check-in where each employee records objectives and progress, reviewed in 15-minute check-ins.
  
  
• Supporting health, safety, and wellbeing: Carry out workstation risk assessments, promote healthy boundaries, and offer mental health support. Managers should role-model good habits around switching off. Quick win: Train managers to spot early signs of poor wellbeing or mental health — such as withdrawal, changes in communication patterns, or missed deadlines — which may be harder to notice when staff are working remotely.
  
  
• Updating policies: Ensure arrangements are formally documented. Policies should cover working hours, communication expectations, provision of equipment, expenses, health and safety, and data security. HR can promote healthy routines, encourage regular breaks, and role-model good boundary-setting, while offering access to wellbeing support. Quick win: update staff handbooks with a clear homeworking policy and circulate it to all employees.
  
  
• Leveraging technology wisely: Provide secure laptops, cloud-based systems, and collaboration platforms. At the same time, set clear norms to avoid overload: when to use email versus video calls, how to share documents, and how to manage meeting etiquette. Quick win: create a short “communication charter” so teams know which channels to use and when.

The real challenge for organisations is balance: offering flexibility without losing accountability, fostering trust without neglecting structure, ensuring underperformance is managed fairly and protecting culture while embracing new ways of working.

Adopting homeworking is the easy part; managing it well is where success or failure lies. Done right, it drives engagement, productivity, and talent attraction. Done badly, it risks burnout, disengagement, poor performance, and a loss of collaboration. In Northern Ireland, where uptake remains lower than elsewhere in the UK, employers who strike this balance will gain a real competitive edge.

The future of homeworking in Northern Ireland won’t be defined by whether it exists, but by how well it is managed.

AAB
Telephone: +44 (0)28 9024 3131
Website: https://aab.uk/