New research shows that most UK employees are resisting full-time return to office demands, with women and parents leading the growing rebellion against rigid return-to-office policies.
Despite high-profile proclamations from CEOs and headlines about a workplace “comeback”, Britain’s workforce appears unconvinced. The new study from the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s College London and King’s Business School reveals a sharp shift in workplace expectations. Based on over 1 million data points from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and 50,000 responses from the Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes UK (SWAA), the research offers the most comprehensive look yet at post-pandemic working patterns across the UK.
The results reveal that only 42% of workers say they’d comply with a full-time return to the office – a drop from 54% in early 2022. And more are willing to vote with their feet. The study shows that:
- Half of all workers (50%) would now look for another job if required to return full-time – up from 40% in 2022.
- The proportion saying they’d quit immediately has doubled from 5% to 10%.
- Overall, 58% say they’d either resign or start job hunting if faced with a five-day-a-week mandate.
FLEXIBILITY & HYBRID WORKING MATTERS
The study shows that hybrid working has become deeply embedded in the British labour market. According to the report:
- The share of women working primarily from home has held steady at 26-27% since early 2022. For men, it’s hovered between 27-30%.
- Average permitted homeworking has crept up – from less than one day a week in 2022 to around 1.3 days in 2024.
- A quarter of workers now work from home three or more days a week, and 40% do so at least once weekly.
In short: hybrid is the new default. Fully remote roles may be declining, but widespread full-time in-office requirements simply don’t reflect how most people now work, or want to.
WOMEN & WORKING PARENTS PUSHBACK
Unsurprisingly, women and parents are leading the pushback. For many, flexibility isn’t a nice-to-have – it’s essential for managing family life and caregiving responsibilities. The reports shows that:
- 64% of women say they’d quit or seek a new role if required to return full-time, compared to 51% of men.
- Just one in three mothers with young children say they’d comply with a full-time office mandate.
- Among fathers of school-age children, the number willing to leave over office demands has soared from 38% to 53% in just two years.
This has serious implications for workplace equality. Employers risk sidelining women and parents if they double down on inflexible policies.
TWO-TIER WORKFORCE RISK
The researchers warn that rigid return-to-office demands could fuel inequality, deepen the gender divide, and damage long-term talent pipelines.
“There’s a growing risk of a two-tier workforce,” said Professor Heejung Chung, Director of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership and lead author of the report. “Women and caregivers may be forced out, while remote workers face stigma and miss out on opportunities.”
The data also highlights an important nuance – Black and minority ethnic workers show slightly higher rates of compliance with full-time office mandates, possibly reflecting greater concerns around job security or workplace discrimination.
TIME TO RETHINK THE OFFICE
The message to employers is clear: return-to-office mandates are not a silver bullet. In fact, they could backfire. “Rather than clinging to outdated models, businesses should be investing in smart hybrid strategies – including remote-first tools, collaborative in-office days, and clearer policies,” advised Professor Chung. “The evidence overwhelmingly shows remote working doesn’t hurt productivity. If anything, flexible workers put in longer hours and report higher engagement.”
Trying to force a full-time return risks alienating your workforce, especially when flexibility has become a baseline expectation in today’s job market. The researchers call on employers to stop treating hybrid working as a temporary pandemic experiment – and start treating it as a long-term competitive advantage.
Click here to read the full report.
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