New study shows hybrid work is here to stay—whether bosses like it or not

Core Insights - The conversation around office policies is shifting towards return-to-office mandates, but a new study indicates that hybrid work is becoming a permanent fixture that employees prefer [1][3] - The ninth annual "State of Hybrid Work" report from Owl Labs reveals that hybrid work is now a priority for workers, who are willing to sacrifice compensation or productivity to maintain it [1] Group 1: Employee Preferences and Trends - A Resume Builder survey indicates that 90% of companies plan to enforce return-to-office policies by year-end, with 30% already requiring full five-day in-office attendance [3] - The Owl Labs report shows that 40% of employees would start job hunting if hybrid work were eliminated, while 22% would expect a raise for the lost flexibility, and 5% would quit immediately [4] - Following Amazon's return-to-office strategy, over half of its office workers began seeking new job opportunities [5] Group 2: Hybrid Work Structure - Employees prefer a hybrid work schedule of three days in the office and two days at home, with 32% favoring the three-day option, 24% opting for two days, and only 14% choosing four days [6] Group 3: Workplace Trends - The report discusses various workplace trends, noting that while terms like "quiet quitting" are prevalent, "quiet vacationing" is less common among hybrid workers [7]