The New Role Of The Office

17th November, 2025

HYBRID CHANGED EVERYTHING

The workplace landscape has shifted permanently.

THE NEW BASELINE

The workplace landscape has shifted permanently. Before 2020, the concept of widespread remote working was a statistical anomaly; less than 5% of UK employees worked from home. In April 2020, that figure spiked to 46% overnight. Fast forward to late 2024, and the dust has settled on a new reality where around 28% of UK workers are hybrid, with 13% fully remote.

Flexible working is no longer a perk or a trend. It is the new baseline.

However, while flexibility is here to stay, the pendulum is swinging back. Business leaders are realising that physical presence holds unique advantages that remote work cannot replicate. The most forward-thinking organisations now face a new question. It is not about forcing a return, but about defining what kind of workplace will make people want to return.

THE CONFLICT: THE EXPECTATION GAP

There is a clear and dangerous disconnect between leadership expectations and employee preferences, creating a tension that defines the current market.

The Leadership View: According to a 2024 KPMG survey, 83% of UK CEO’s expect a return to pre-pandemic office patterns within three years. This is a significant rise from 64% just a year earlier. Leaders are recognising that a fully remote setup may work well in the short term, but over time, “erosion creeps in.” Informal learning disappears, teams lose cohesion, and cultural drift sets in.
The Employee View: Conversely, surveys show 87% of UK employees now prefer hybrid or remote models. The desire for flexibility is so strong that almost half of the workforce would consider a pay cut to retain it.

Bridging that divide requires more than policy. It demands strategy, empathy and design.

THE MARIS METHODOLOGY:

FROM COMPLIANCE TO COMPELLING

There is a significant difference between getting people back in and getting people to want to be back. Mandates alone risk resentment. Instead, strategy-led transformation changes the conversation entirely.

We call this shift “from compliance to compelling.” It is about moving away from attendance spreadsheets and towards a value-based proposition:

Enablement: Building environments that enable people to do their best work – offering facilities that the home cannot match.

Purpose: Creating experiences that feel purposeful, not perfunctory.

Culture: Using the office to reinforce culture, not just house people.

THE CFO’S CORNER:

WHY PRESENCE MATTERS

The push for a return is not a rejection of flexibility. It is a recognition of what remote work cannot replace. As outlined in the Maris Playbook, the office is the engine for critical business drivers that are difficult to digitise:

Unplanned Collaboration: The serendipity that sparks new ideas in corridors and kitchens.
Mentorship: The ability for early-career talent to learn by osmosis – watching how senior leaders handle a crisis or a client call.
Cultural Rituals: The shared moments that build team identity and belonging.
Shared Energy: The collective drive that fuels performance and resilience.
Client Engagement: The ability to build trust face-to-face, which remains the gold standard for relationship management.

MARIS TOOLS:

THE SOCIAL CONTRACT

Returning to the office is a human question, not just a logistical one. It requires a new “social contract” between employers and employees. Leaders must clarify the why and deliver a compelling what for.

People need to know:

Why the office matters to the business strategy.
What is in it for them personally (mentorship, connection, career growth).
How flexibility will be protected, ensuring autonomy remains.
What kind of experience they can expect when they arrive.

When organisations get this right, the office shifts from being a cost centre to a performance asset.

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