THE TREND
Up since 2022
The ONS says 28% of working adults hybrid worked between January and March 2025, while those who only travel to work have declined.
See the numbersStart
WHAT THE STATISTICS SHOW
More than one
in four.
Hybrid working has become the new normal for a quarter of workers.
The Office for National Statistics tracks it with a simple weekly question about where people worked. The answers show it depends heavily on qualifications, income, age and type of job.
28%of workers, early 2025
Compare groupsKeep in mind
- Part home, part workplace
- Measured week by week
- Not open to everyone
- Hybrid working, by the numbers
THE SHORT ANSWER
Common, but
unevenly shared.
Hybrid means travelling to work part of the time
and working at home part of the time.
WHO
Desk jobs lead
Hybrid work is most common for managers and professionals, and in IT and professional services; least in hospitality, retail and construction.
Compare groups
TIME
The commute saved
The ONS Time Use Survey found people working from home saved an average of 56 minutes that day from not commuting.
Where the time wentCOMPARE GROUPS
Who is most likely
to hybrid work?
Pick a group of workers to see what share were hybrid working in Great Britain between January and March 2025. The bar shows how common it was.
From the ONS Opinions and Lifestyle Survey, 8 January to 30 March 2025, published in Who has access to hybrid work in Great Britain? (June 2025).
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
A quarter of workers,
a wide gap.
One figure for how common hybrid work is,
one for how unevenly it is spread.
28%
Working adults hybrid working, Jan to Mar 2025
More than a quarter of working adults in Great Britain hybrid worked. The ONS says the share has gradually risen since March 2022, as travelling to work only declined.
ALL WORKERS · ONS
10× more likely
Degree holders vs no qualifications
41% of workers with a degree or equivalent hybrid worked, compared with 4% of those with no qualifications.
QUALIFICATIONS · ONS
The ONS asks about where people worked in the last week as a snapshot, so the survey captures both regular and irregular patterns. Working only from home has stayed broadly constant.
ASKING FOR HYBRID WORK
A right to ask,
not a right to have.
In Great Britain, hybrid arrangements are usually agreed through a flexible working request. GOV.UK and Acas explain the basics.
Step 1
Ask from day one
GOV.UK says employees can make a flexible working request from their first day in a job, including to change where they work.
Step 2
Follow your employer's process
Acas suggests checking your organisation's policy on flexible, home or hybrid working, or asking your manager.
Step 3
Expect it to be weighed up
Employers must deal with requests in a reasonable manner, for example by discussing alternatives and offering an appeal.
Step 4
Know it can be refused
A request can be refused for a good business reason. Rules are different in Northern Ireland.
WHERE THE TIME GOES
Less commuting,
a little more rest.
On days they worked from home, people in the ONS Time Use Survey of March 2024 spent an average of 24 minutes more on sleep and rest and 15 minutes more on exercise, sports and well-being than those working away from home.
They reported about 10 minutes less time working, but the ONS says its estimates are not precise enough to be sure, and that the data cannot show how time use affects productivity.
Questions
Questions on the way
What counts as hybrid working?
In the ONS survey, a hybrid worker both worked from home and travelled to work in the previous seven days. Acas describes it as splitting your time between the workplace and working remotely.
How many people hybrid work?
The ONS estimated 28% of working adults in Great Britain hybrid worked between 8 January and 30 March 2025, up gradually since March 2022.
Which industries use it most?
In a December 2023 business survey, the ONS found the information and communication industry had the highest share at 49%, and accommodation and food services the lowest at 4%.
Are disabled workers more likely to hybrid work?
No. The ONS found 24% of disabled workers hybrid worked compared with 29% of non-disabled workers, partly linked to differences in income and occupation.
Can I ask my employer for hybrid working?
GOV.UK says all employees have the legal right to request flexible working, including where they work, from their first day. Employers can refuse for a good business reason.
Destination