Remote work permanence in Portugal: A persistent trend?
In the latest episode of Economia dia a dia, Expresso's daily podcast, journalist Tomás Delfim discusses the trend of the hybrid work model. This model, which blends remote and in-office work, is becoming increasingly popular and seems set to stay as a long-term work culture trend in 2025 and beyond.
The hybrid work model offers a balanced solution that supports employee autonomy while meeting organizational performance objectives. Companies are adopting hybrid configurations, with employees typically spending three days a week in the office, to foster teamwork, creativity, and relationship-building.
Hybrid work addresses the challenges of purely remote work by maintaining team cohesion and face-to-face collaboration, while also enhancing employee satisfaction, retention, and productivity. Workers strongly favour flexibility, with over 95% wanting some degree of remote work and many willing to prioritize flexible work arrangements over salary increases.
The model is becoming more intentional and tailored to roles and team needs, focusing on outcomes rather than physical presence, which improves accountability and job satisfaction. Despite some pushback and calls for full return-to-office policies from select organizations, the majority of companies continue to support hybrid work for its benefits in well-being, engagement, and talent retention.
The hybrid model is especially favoured in tech and professional services, where productivity gains of up to 84% over rigid office mandates have been observed. Organizational success and resilience increasingly depend on flexible hybrid policies aligned with employee expectations and supported by technology such as AI and automation.
In summary, the hybrid work model is evolving but remains a foundational approach shaping the future of work culture globally. It offers a balanced solution that supports both employee autonomy and organizational performance objectives.
[References] 1. Institute of National Statistics 2. Gallup 3. McKinsey & Company 4. Buffer State of Remote Work Report 5. Gartner
In the future, the hybrid work model may integrationally incorporate health and wellness into workplace-wellness initiatives, as it aligns with employee preferences for flexibility and fosters work-life balance. This focus on health-and-wellness within the lifestyle of employees can potentially enhance their satisfaction, productivity, and overall job performance.
Moreover, as organizational success and resilience are increasingly contingent upon hybrid policies and technologies, companies may prioritize wellness programs that address both mental health and physical well-being, thus creating a more cohesive and high-performing workforce.
