Owl Labs today released its eighth annual State of Hybrid Work Report. Owl Labs surveyed 2,000 full-time knowledge workers in the United States to uncover the latest trends and perspectives around remote and hybrid work. Findings include a crackdown on coffee badging, appreciation for the “green flag boss,” office avoidance due to political talk during election season, and employees posting complaints on #WorkTok and other social media. 

"Despite the misconception that most employees are now back in the office full-time, the reality is that hybrid and remote work continue to grow and they’re taking back share from fully in-office work ,” said Frank Weishaupt, CEO of Owl Labs. “Some employees see the value of the office but want to go there on their own terms and despite job market fluctuations, they continue to remain firm on wanting flexibility in where they work. Common deterrents in today’s offices that employers should be aware of include political chats, distractions during time needed for solo deep work, and expensive commutes." 

Hybrid + remote work gain momentum amid decline in full-time office attendance

The report reveals that full-time office workers now comprise 62% of the workforce, a 6% drop from last year, while more than one in three workers (38%) are hybrid or remote, a 15% increase. This includes over a quarter of employees (27%) who are hybrid, a 4% increase from last year. Full-time remote work has also surged by 57%, with 11% of workers now working from home. 

Despite these shifts, a disconnect remains between employees’ preferred and actual days in the office. Nearly a third of hybrid workers (32%) are in the office about four days a week but only 14% would prefer to be. The most commonly desired number of days per week is three (33% of hybrid workers would prefer this) or two days (20%). 

Coffee badging declines as some employers crack down

While the viral trend of coffee badging – showing up at the office long enough for a cup of coffee before returning home to work – persists, its prevalence has slightly decreased from 2023 (58%). Nearly half of hybrid workers (44%) admit to coffee badging and another 11% would like to try it, a 38% increase in interest from last year. Employers are starting to catch on, as 70% of workers have been caught coffee badging by their bosses and 16% of them are now required to be in the office for the full day. Three-quarters of workers (75%) think the pressure from employers to work in the office is simply due to their traditional expectations, a 9% increase since 2023.

On the other hand, 59% of coffee badgers said their employers didn’t mind. Bosses are more likely to be coffee badgers themselves, as 47% of managers admit to it, compared to 34% of individual contributors. This is another sign that return-to-office mandates aren’t working if managers won’t enforce them, as everyone is seeking flexibility in where they do their best work.

As a result, some major corporations have recently introduced policies to prevent coffee badging, which can include tracking software to monitor in-office attendance. Owl Labs’ report found nearly half (46%) of employees said their companies increased usage of employee tracking software in the past year. The vast majority of employees (86%) believe companies should be legally required to disclose if they’re using these tools. 

Supportive bosses are nearly as valuable to workers as their paychecks

The 2024 report also revealed the importance of having a “green flag boss” who’s supportive of employees. About 92% of employees rank having an MVP manager as the most important factor in their work lives which is just two percentage points behind the share of employees who named compensation as their top priority (94%). The data suggests that employees value managerial support nearly as much as their paychecks and even more than their healthcare benefits (91% said this was a top factor). For employers looking to add value, investing in management training to turn more supervisors into green flag bosses may lead to increased employee retention and satisfaction.

Employees are spilling the company tea on #WorkTok

Meanwhile, employees who probably don’t have green flag bosses are taking their frustrations to social media. Over one-third (34%) of employees have posted negative content about their jobs online, with Gen Z leading the charge as 48% of respondents in that generation admit they’ve done this. Whether they’re posting in the #WorkTok corner of TikTok (15% of workers do), through their other personal social media channels (19%) or anonymously on platforms like Glassdoor (13%), employees have become increasingly vocal about their dissatisfaction.  

Men are nearly twice as likely as women to complain online, with 46% admitting they’ve posted negatively about work on social media, compared to 24% of women. Nearly one in five workers (15%) have even turned the surveillance tables on their employers by recording meetings or conversations with them. Savvy employers should maintain transparent and fair workplace policies to avoid becoming the next viral story, as many companies have found out the hard way that negative posts can quickly spiral out of control.

Inflation hits commuting costs for hybrid workers

This year’s report also found that it now costs hybrid workers an average of $61 per day to go to the office, a 20% increase from 2023. The rising costs of commuting ($17 per day), parking ($10), and meals ($13 for breakfast / coffee and $21 for lunch) are significant deterrents for many hybrid workers, when it only costs $19 per day when they work remotely. However, 86% of hybrid and remote employees could be enticed back to the office with the right incentives. Popular draws include higher compensation (41% said this would lure them back), free or subsidized food and beverages (26%), or reimbursement for commuting and parking (26%). If it’s crucial for employees to meet in person, the right perks can make it literally worth their while.

Political watercooler talk deters office attendance

As the 2024 election approaches, nearly half of workers (45%) say that their employers’ or colleagues’ political opinions in the office have made them less inclined to go in. This sentiment is particularly strong among full-time in-office employees, with 50% citing political tensions as a deterrent, compared to 37% of hybrid workers. 

Moreover, 28% of workers plan to take a post-election mental health day on November 6 if the results don’t go their way, with another 9% undecided but leaning toward staying home. While many employers are pushing in-office work because they see the positive impact of watercooler talk, it can also backfire when controversial topics are top of mind and difficult to avoid, increasing the potential for heightened stress and workplace tensions.

Workers draw boundaries on meetings + workloads but not sick days

Another example of workers advocating for their needs is the fact that more than half of employees (58%) are using calendar blocking to protect their time against meetings and reserve it for focused work. Full-time office workers (64% of them do it) are twice as likely to use this strategy compared to their hybrid (28%) and remote (8%) counterparts, reflecting the need for uninterrupted productivity in an increasingly busy work environment. In addition, employees with caregiving responsibilities are twice as likely to calendar block (67% do it) as non-caretakers (33%). Some workplaces, including Owl Labs, even take calendar blocking a step further with No Meeting Days when everyone can go heads-down.

More than one in five workers (22%) are also establishing boundaries around their workloads, by not taking on work that’s outside of their job descriptions. Another 20% refuse to answer company communications outside of work hours, which illustrates why “right to disconnect” laws have been emerging in recent years.

Despite these boundaries when it comes to their schedules and workloads, 72% of workers are less likely to unplug and take a sick day when they’re under the weather, and often go the “WFB” (working from bed) route instead. Remote connection options may have killed the snow day and sick day by keeping people connected, which comes with pros and cons. Pushing through a major illness or injury can prolong it but the ability to work from home with a case of the sniffles is a good way to maintain productivity and keep colleagues protected from germs.

For additional insights on hybrid working and more, check out our full report.