Should our hybrid policy require office days?

Required office days should not be the default in a hybrid work policy. Set expectations for connection, collaboration and communication, then give people room to choose where work happens when possible. Culture comes from people, trust and shared habits, not from a building or a fixed commute.

Required office days are a coordination choice, not a culture policy

A hybrid work policy should not treat required office days as proof of culture or commitment. Office culture is not rooted in a physical place alone. It is shaped by the people, the ethos they share and the way they work together, wherever they are based.

A central office can still create useful moments for collaboration, conversation and connection. But that does not make a blanket attendance rule the clearest answer for every employee or role. An online-first approach can help people participate consistently, whether they are in the room or working remotely. The practical aim is to make connection accessible across locations, rather than making office presence the measure of belonging.

Trust matters here. Employees need to see that leadership values what they contribute, not simply where they sit while contributing it.

Sources: The End of Office Culture? The Open Talent Economy Is Just the Beginning, Interview: The Culture of Recruitment

Employee choice needs clear habits around it

Flexible work is strongest when employee choice is matched by clear routines for communication, collaboration and inclusion. A policy without fixed office days still needs a simple operating model: people need to know how projects move forward, how colleagues stay in touch and how new starters become part of the team.

Online-first working can make hybrid work more consistent by giving everyone shared ways to meet, plan and collaborate. Regular use of digital tools can help remote and in-person employees stay on the same page, while a buddy and introductions across teams can make onboarding feel less like joining from the outside.

Office time can remain a welcome option for people who value working together physically. The important distinction is between creating reasons to connect and using attendance as a substitute for connection.

Sources: The End of Office Culture? The Open Talent Economy Is Just the Beginning, Remote control: why we may never return to work as we knew it

We would build hybrid work around trust, not attendance targets

We believe hybrid policies should make trust tangible rather than make office presence a proxy for performance. The office can be a brilliant place for buzz, banter and working side by side, but culture lives in people and shared values, not in a postcode. At The Frameworks, we have not set rules around office attendance. People who can generally choose to come in once or twice a week because they value working together in person. We support that choice with an online-first approach, daily collaboration tools, buddying for new hires and introductions across teams. That gives people a clearer route into the culture whether they work remotely or in person.

Sources: The End of Office Culture? The Open Talent Economy Is Just the Beginning, Interview: The Culture of Recruitment

Stats

An optional two-days-home schedule reduced attrition from 7.20% to 4.80%, a one-third reduction, in a six-month randomized trial.

Nicholas Bloom, Ruobing Han and James Liang

A hybrid-work trial found no difference in performance reviews or promotions over follow-up periods of up to two years.

Nicholas Bloom, Ruobing Han and James Liang

FAQs

How many office days should a hybrid policy require?

No fixed number is necessary when the organisation can support an online-first way of working and clear communication. People may choose to work together in person once or twice a week because they value it, but choice is different from an attendance target. A useful policy makes room for both remote participation and physical collaboration.

Can remote and hybrid work maintain company culture?

Remote and hybrid work can maintain culture when culture is treated as shared behaviour and ethos rather than office presence. Consistent ways of communicating, collaborating and welcoming new people help every work setting feel connected to the wider organisation. Trust is central because employees need to feel valued for what they do, not where they work.

How can hybrid teams help new starters feel included?

Hybrid teams can help new starters feel included by making onboarding work equally well online and in person. Assigning a buddy, introducing people across teams and using familiar shared collaboration tools can help a new hire feel integrated from the start. The goal is clear access to people and everyday working habits, not simply access to an office desk.

Should managers judge commitment by office attendance?

Managers should judge contribution by the work people do rather than the place where they do it. Making trust visible helps employees feel secure, while clear expectations keep projects moving across a distributed team. Office attendance can support collaboration, but it is not a reliable stand-in for commitment.