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Hybrid data | Return to office mandates are stalling - it comes down to trust

Smiling man working from home

Employers may be pushing for a return to office, but Gallup’s latest analysis shows hybrid work is holding its ground.

The percentager of remote-capable US employees in hybrid roles slipped from 55% to 51% in the last two quarters. During the same period, fully on-site and fully remote arrangements each rose by two points, still leaving hybrid as the predominant choice.

Since 2022, location data has shown little volatility, signaling that hybrid work has become an established fixture. Gallup reported that remote-capable employees now average 46% of their week on-site, or 2.3 days, up from 42% in 2022. The increase occurred in 2023, with no change since.

Federal shift bucks national trend

Remote-capable workers represent roughly half of the total US labor force, with hybrid still dominant. Two groups are bucking the trend, the tech industry and federal employees.

In tech, 47% are fully remote and 45% hybrid, while only 9% work entirely on-site. Those levels have remained stable since 2022.

Federal employees show a different picture, however. After Trump returned to office in 2025, his administration curtailed remote work in Government roles. Gallup data shows hybrid participation among federal workers fell from 61% in late 2024 to 28% in the second quarter of 2025. The share fully on-site climbed to 46%, more than double the national average of 21%.

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Trust and control shape outcomes

Employers do appear to be exerting more influence over schedules. The percentage of hybrid staff who say their timetable is “entirely up to me” slipped from 37% in 2024 to 34% this year. Currently, 34% say they choose their schedule, 35% say their manager or team decides, and 31% say leadership dictates it. The latter share has not shifted in two years.

The data also highlights the importance of applying hybrid work standards evenly. Some 91% of employees with team-determined schedules describe their policy as fair, the same as those who decide individually. When leadership sets the schedule, only 73% feel the arrangement is fair.

Hybrid work trade-offs

Workers with self-determined timetables are 76% more likely to cite burnout as their greatest challenge, 57% more likely to report reduced balance, and 52% more likely to say customer needs are harder to meet.

Gallup also found that trust remains pivotal. Just 54% of managers strongly agree they trust remote teams to deliver, while 57% of staff say they feel trusted. Four practices are cited as improving trust -  timely communication, community, accountability, and equal access to feedback and development.

The figures concludes that hybrid remains common and popular but complex, requiring teams and managers to coordinate effectively while building trust.

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