The “Grow Remote – Future of Work Pulse” that looks at what’s shaping the future of work across Ireland and beyond. We round up the latest stories, share insights, opinions and spotlight where remote and hybrid models are helping people, employers and communities thrive while not shying away from the challenges of remote!

1) “A Load of Nonsense” or A Missed Opportunity for Better Conversations?

 A recent article in The Independent covered businessman Denis O’Brien describing remote working as “a malaise” and “a load of nonsense”. His belief? That young people need to be in offices to learn, and that flexibility has gone too far.

While this kind of sentiment is not uncommon among many business leaders, it contrasts sharply with the direction of travel that we see on the ground and in the data.

There has in fact always been a disconnect between management and employees when it comes to whether remote work is a “good thing” but not to this extreme.

The FRS Recruitment Employment Insights report is just one such example of the data where:

“More than 9 out of 10 workers believe they are either more productive or just as productive when working from home. Interestingly, employers are also acknowledging the benefits of remote work, with more than 3 out of 4 saying their employees are either more productive or having a neutral view on their productivity.”

In the 2022 Remote Working in Ireland national remote work survey conducted by NUI Galway Whitaker Institute & Western Development Commission, 5000+ respondents (including managers) defined that:

“84% either agreed or strongly agreed that working remotely increases their productivity and 79% either agreed or strongly agreed that working remotely reduces their work-related stress.”

In an opinion column for The Journal, public health expert Dr Catherine Conlon responded to O’Brien’s remarks, highlighting the outdated work ethic narrative that underpins them. She argues that the modern world of work must move beyond glorifying constant availability and long commutes, towards a more human-centred model that prioritises health, equity and connection.

Laura Bambrick of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) also reacted to O’Brien’s take on remote working, saying the billionaire’s comments show a disregard for work-life balance. Any employer insisting on five days in the office raises red flags, she said. Her comments reflect a more modern, balanced and tech-evolved view of the working week.

“Denis O’Brien’s comments reflect an outdated industrial mantra that was designed to count, standardise and extract. But thankfully, people have changed.”

Grow Remote Opinion: We agree that the conversation about remote work shouldn’t be framed as for or against. It should be about how work is done and an acknowledgement that it must work for people, profit and planet if or when implemented. Remote work done well is built on culture, operating principles, trust, inclusion and performance, not presenteeism.

There’s plenty of need and space for opinions, discussions and solutions. But to create better workplaces and help businesses grow, we do need to move beyond legacy and dive into what does work and what can be improved to make progress for people, profit and planet in the future of work.

2) HubSpot’s Playbook for “Hybrid by Design” as a blueprint for operating models

HubSpot recently lifted the lid on how it has structured hybrid working globally and it’s a masterclass in intentional design over default decisions. A blueprint for any business that wants to thrive in the future of work.

Instead of enforcing one-size-fits-all rules, they asked employees directly through focus groups and feedback loops, letting them choose from @office, @home or @flex setups.

What stands out is not just the flexibility, but how the model is supported:

• Tools and processes that support asynchronous communication
• Manager training for leading distributed teams
• Internal mobility that doesn’t rely on physical presence

Flex Index, a leader in remote ecosystem data, recently shared this, picking up on the statement “Culture is in our hearts, not our hallways.”

It’s a blueprint that matches what we hear from high-performing hybrid employers: flexible work doesn’t mean chaos, it means clarity, co-creation and consistency.

There is also a great insight shared to validate the operating principle that the future of work is not about where but instead how work is done.

“Moving beyond a one-size-fits-all approach means the “everyday” can vary significantly for our employees. To ensure everyone is set up for success, we prioritise clearly defining each role’s desired outcomes. By focusing on output, we trust our employees to leverage their flexibility in a way that maximises their productivity and aligns with team needs.”

Grow Remote Opinion: Firstly, this feels like another one of those remote ecosystem benchmark reports that will guide business decisions in a similar way that the GitLab Remote Playbook has done for many years.

When a company the size of HubSpot and one that is demonstrating strong financial growth and strategic advancements in 2024 can make remote work for them and their people, it is worth looking at what and why this is working well.

Secondly, we can also acknowledge the varied terminology in the world of remote work operating models. HubSpot refers to their operating model as “Hybrid”. We and others might refer to it as “Remote First” because it is designed around the assumption that work happens primarily outside of a central office, with systems, culture and expectations built to support that. What matters most is not the label, but the intention and structure behind it.

Distributed work models that thrive are the ones designed around people and built on trust. It’s a reminder that remote or hybrid is not a fixed destination, but a continual practice of adapting how we work to support business goals and human needs.

📌 Sources: – HubSpot Hybrid By Design | Flex Index | GitLab Remote Playbook

3) CIPD’s 2025 Survey Tells Us What’s Really Going On With Hybrid Work

The world of work is constantly evolving, and perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in the ongoing discussion around hybrid and remote working. The CIPD’s “HR practices in Ireland 2025” report offers valuable insights into how organisations and HR professionals in Ireland are navigating this complex landscape.

Hybrid working continues to be a central theme for businesses. While there’s still a “struggle to find the right balance between organisational requirements and employee expectations,” organisations are trying to figure out the best solutions for their specific needs.

According to the report, hybrid working isn’t just a perk, it remains the most impactful tool for recruiting and retaining employees for nine out of 10 organisations surveyed. Furthermore, it’s seen by more than two-thirds of organisations as a central tool for building an inclusive workplace. Flexible working practices in general were found to be the most impactful tactic for recruitment and retention.

The prevalence of hybrid working is holding steady, not seeing the growth observed in previous years. In 2025, 43% of organisations had more than half of their employees working on a hybrid basis, a slight increase from 40% the previous year. Fully onsite working remains significant, with about a third of organisations having over 75% of employees fully onsite.

The debate isn’t just about if hybrid work happens, but evolving now into how it impacts the organisation. The report highlights that there are two sides to every story!

• Potential Downsides: Two-thirds of respondents felt hybrid working limits informal learning, and nearly half (48%) reported a negative impact on managers’ ability to manage. Sustaining organisational culture was also cited as a challenge, though a majority still believed hybrid/flexible working positively impacted culture.
• Positive Impacts: On the flip side, nine out of 10 respondents said it facilitated recruitment and retention. Three-quarters reported that it improved productivity as well as wellbeing.

Interestingly, the report notes a shift in how decisions about mandated days onsite are being made, with a move towards more centralised decision-making. While around two-thirds of organisations reported no change in mandated days onsite, a quarter have increased or plan to increase the number of mandated days onsite. When mandated, the most common patterns remain two or three days per week onsite.

Regarding productivity, over a quarter (28%) perceived productivity to be higher for hybrid working, though a similar percentage (28%) felt it was lower for fully remote working. The majority (53% for hybrid, 60% for fully remote) saw no variation in productivity based on location.

While hybrid working is a key strategy, supporting managers in this environment appears to be an area needing attention. Only half of organisations supported or trained line managers to manage hybrid employees.

Grow Remote Opinion: This report helps shift the hybrid conversation away from headline noise and towards what’s really happening inside organisations. It shows that hybrid working is no longer a temporary measure or experiment and that it’s part of how modern businesses operate in Ireland. And while the benefits are clear, recruitment, retention, productivity, inclusion, the challenges are real too, especially around informal learning, management capability and sustaining culture.

Unpopular opinion? This is not a sign of hybrid work failing, it is instead a good signal that we need to keep evolving how we work. The CIPD data shows that success in hybrid work hinges less on where people are, and more on how they’re supported. Tools alone aren’t enough. The organisations that will lead in the future of work are already investing in manager training, rethinking performance models and keeping the employee voice at the centre of decision-making.

P..S – don’t wait for a “perfect” hybrid model. Focus instead on embracing new ways of working and principles that work: clarity, adaptability, trust and inclusion. Hybrid is here to stay, and getting it right is now a leadership priority, not just an HR one.

📌 Source: CIPD Ireland Report 2025

About Grow Remote – Our mission is to solve the problems of remote work in order to unlock social, economic and environmental change for individuals, employers and local communities.

www.growremote.ie