Hybrid working delivers the healthiest work-life balance for UK employees, according to The Britain At Work Report, published by Health Shield Friendly Society.
Research outlined in the report found that 74 percent of hybrid workers rated their work-life balance as good or very good. In comparison, among people working entirely remotely just 64 percent said this, and among people based solely on site it was 71 percent.
Overall, more than a quarter of employees (28 percent) described their work-life balance as less than good, while almost a third (31 percent) pointed to a lack of flexible arrangements as a barrier to improving it.
Only 7 percent of respondents across all working patterns rated their work-life balance as poor or very poor. While this may reassure employers, the survey also exposed significant ongoing challenges. Two-fifths (40 percent) said work frequently or always interferes with personal or family life, 35 percent cited high workloads, and 30 percent complained of long working hours. A quarter (24 percent) admitted struggling to disconnect from work, and 11 percent said they lacked sufficient support from their employer.
Researchers said the findings underline the value of investing in employee wellbeing. Among employees who felt their employer supported them “a lot”, 93 percent described themselves as happy and motivated, while 98 percent also felt valued. Happier workers also took fewer sick days, averaging 6.7 a year compared with 11.9 among those who felt unsupported.
Paul Shires, director at Health Shield, said: “Employers have an important opportunity to listen to their teams by providing flexible, inclusive solutions which enable them to thrive both at work and home. This can be achieved by tackling the real barriers, such as excessive workloads, long hours and limited flexibility, and by considering different needs across the workforce. It also showed that happier employees are absent less often, taking 6.7 days off a year compared to 11.9 days for those who feel unhappy and unsupported.”
Demand for flexibility remains high, but the research also shows that fully remote arrangements do not suit everyone. Remote workers reported lower levels of happiness and motivation at 59 percent. They also took more time off sick, averaging 11.2 days a year, compared with 6.7 for hybrid staff and 5.8 for those on site.
Remote staff were also less likely to feel well supported by their employer, with only 28 percent agreeing, compared with 38 percent of hybrid or on-site employees.
Perry Timms, HR consultant and influencer, said: “High workloads, long hours, and limited flexibility aren’t just employee challenges – they’re business challenges. Stress and burnout directly impact productivity, team performance and the bottom line. By implementing flexible policies and managing workloads effectively, businesses can unlock higher employee engagement, reduce turnover costs, and drive innovation.
“A thriving workforce doesn’t just perform better, it creates measurable commercial value, making investment in employee wellbeing a strategic move for long-term success.”
The Britain At Work Report surveyed 975 UK employees in December 2024.
