Hybrid Work to Remain the Norm in India, but Purposeful Office Days Will Matter More: ACCA

India's workplace may have settled the debate over remote versus office work, but a new question is emerging: how should employees and employers make the most of time spent in the office?

According to ACCA's latest report, hybrid work continues to be the preferred model for professionals both in India and globally. However, the next phase of workplace evolution appears less focused on where people work and more focused on why they come into the office.

As organisations adapt to distributed teams and global operations, experts believe that intentional and purposeful office attendance could become a key factor in both productivity and career advancement.

Why Does Hybrid Work Remain the Preferred Choice?

The report shows that hybrid work continues to dominate employee preferences.

Globally, 75 per cent of respondents prefer hybrid arrangements over fully remote or fully office-based work. In India, that figure rises to 79 per cent.

The trend is also increasingly visible in practice. Currently, 53 per cent of respondents in India work in a hybrid model, up from 45 per cent a year ago and significantly above the global average of 45 per cent.

According to the report, the increase "suggests that organisations are responding to the preferred work patterns of employees."

The findings indicate that companies are gradually aligning workplace policies with employee expectations, making hybrid work the default model for many organisations.

Why Are Office Days Becoming More Strategic?

While employees value flexibility, many also see benefits in spending time at the workplace.

The report found that 74 per cent of respondents in India believe organisations should require employees to spend a set number of days in the office each week.

There is also a strong perception that office attendance can influence career growth. Around 69 per cent of Indian respondents believe greater office presence helps career progression, compared to 58 per cent globally.

Among Gen Z professionals in India, that figure rises to 72 per cent, suggesting younger workers may increasingly view in-person visibility as an important career advantage.

The findings point to a workplace culture where office attendance is not simply about compliance but about collaboration, networking and building professional relationships.

Does Hybrid Work Require Physical Presence to Be Effective?

Experts participating in ACCA's India roundtable argued that hybrid work offers a practical middle ground, allowing employees to balance flexibility with opportunities for teamwork and collaboration.

However, they also cautioned against rigid attendance mandates.

"It's not true that you need to be physically present in front of a person to engage better. To the question of whether it is better to work hybrid than full-time in the office, I think wherever technology permits us to work hybrid, we should," said Nisha Srinivasan, Dell Technologies, as quoted in the ACCA report.

Her comments reflect a growing belief that technology can support meaningful collaboration even when employees are not physically together.

Should Companies Move Away From One-Size-Fits-All Policies?

The report suggests that successful organisations will increasingly focus on flexibility rather than blanket rules.

Giridharan R of Grant Thornton Bharat argued that workplace policies should be tailored to business needs while also accommodating individual circumstances.

"Organisations need to have purposeful and intentional policies in place based on a model that works for their clients, while being agile to individual needs."

He further suggested that companies establish a broad framework while allowing managers greater flexibility in implementation.

According to Giridharan, decision-making can be decentralised to hiring managers or division heads "to find a balance between individual and organisational requirements."

This approach could allow organisations to maintain consistency while adapting to the realities of different teams and roles.

What Will the Future Workplace Look Like?

The report points to a future where flexibility remains a core feature of work, but office attendance becomes more deliberate and meaningful.

Rather than measuring success by the number of days employees spend at their desks, companies are likely to focus on creating valuable in-person experiences that support collaboration, innovation and relationship-building.

The trend may already be underway. Around 55 per cent of Indian respondents expect to spend more time in the office over the next one to two years.

For employees, that could mean treating office days as opportunities to build visibility and strengthen professional networks. For employers, it could mean designing workplace experiences that justify the commute.

The message from the report is clear: hybrid work is not disappearing, but the purpose of office attendance is evolving. In the years ahead, organisations that make in-person time meaningful may gain an advantage in attracting talent, retaining employees and supporting career growth.

(With inputs from ANI)