Return to five-day week in the office is 'inevitable', UAE employment experts say

Companies are increasingly turning against the hybrid model that was a legacy of the pandemic

Experts believe that remote working may have had its day. PA

It is only a matter of time before most companies in the UAE discard remote options and ask for staff to be based solely in the office during the working week, experts have said.

The majority of companies adopted a hybrid working model, with staff splitting their working week between the office and home, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic that brought the world to a standstill.

However, those days could be coming to an end with a trend emerging in which companies are asking for staff to spend their entire working week in the office. One of the main reasons for this is a perception that staff are more efficient when working on-site with their colleagues, rather than from their homes.

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“In the UAE, the shift back is real. The West might talk about four-day work weeks and hybrid forever, but the context here is different,” said Nevin Lewis, chief executive of Black & Grey HR.

“SMEs are the backbone here and they don’t have the massive profit cushions big multinationals do. The cost of visas, medical cover, family benefits and housing is real. This makes full-time, disengaged remote teams unsustainable for many.”

One of the main reasons for firms moving away from remote working is due to there being less need now the pandemic is well and truly over, he said. High-profile firms such as Amazon, HSBC, X and JP Morgan are among those that offer no remote work options, requiring staff to spend all five working days operating from the office.

“Remote work boomed out of necessity during Covid and not because it was always the best model for every industry, role or culture. Companies adopted it fast to survive,” said Mr Lewis.

They've got assets not being used to full capacity and offices are sitting empty

David Mackenzie

“Now the dust has settled, the reality is clearer than ever. More employers are telling us that they see their employees disengaged. Psychologically, too much isolation breeds anxiety and disconnect.

“The next generation will keep pushing for more remote freedom as they’re digital, flexible, fluid. That’s fine. But the fundamentals of business won’t change. Smart people need smart people around them to push ideas further. Culture, trust and innovation will thrive when teams come together.”

The argument for remote work

UAE government outlines 'compelling' case for remote working

01:14

The UAE government has come out in no uncertain terms in terms of its support for remote working practices. Companies that offer staff hybrid working have a powerful advantage over those that do not, a report commissioned by the UAE government found in January.

The white-paper study, titled Remote Working in the UAE, concluded that “the overall direction is clear. Remote working is more of an opportunity than it is a threat”. The report found the argument for a policy that supports remote work was compelling, with evidence showing a hybrid model that combined working from home and the office can increase productivity.

The hybrid model was also best for increasing inclusivity and workforce well-being, as well as increasing the potential talent available to a company, to include more women and people with caring responsibilities at home, as well as those who were no longer constrained by proximity to a fixed office location, the report said.

However, the shift towards staff spending less and less time working remotely from home is continuing unabated, said another expert.

“It seems inevitable,” said David Mackenzie, group managing director of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones, when asked about the likelihood of most firms abandoning remote working options for employees.

“The accountants have taken over, whereas HR previously dictated the culture of the office environment. The accountants have suddenly realised they've got assets not being used to full capacity and offices are sitting empty. They've looked at their asset sheet and decided 'we're not using it enough'.”

A trend was emerging with more companies across the country calling for staff to be in the office for the entire duration of the working week, said Mr Mackenzie.

“One issue with working from home is you don't know how productive your people are,” he said. “You have to trust people to [let them] work from home.

“You can always tell the people at home who are actually working because they're always online, they're always chatting to you. The ones who aren't always take time to get hold of.”

Office space

Almost two thirds of chief executives and business leader around the world said they expected to see a full return to companies working solely from the office within three years, according to the KPMG CEO Outlook survey released in late 2023.

The same survey revealed a massive majority of global business leaders, 87 per cent, felt that pay and promotions should become dependent on workplace attendance.

However, another employment expert warned that companies could be risking their chances of employing the best possible people if they were inflexible about working conditions.

“A full return to a five-day office week is highly unlikely. Companies that insist on it risk becoming less attractive to top talent, making it harder to recruit new employees or retain existing ones. Flexibility has become a key factor in employer branding and employee satisfaction,” said Oliver Kowalski, regional managing director at Hays Middle East.

“That said, many employers have also recognised the value of in-office work – particularly when it comes to fostering company culture, strengthening employee identification with the organisation, and enabling peer-to-peer learning.

“So, while hybrid work is likely to remain the dominant model, we may see a slight shift toward more in-office presence.”

A spokesperson for another firm said the end of the pandemic made a move away from a hybrid working environment more likely.

“We’re seeing a policy-level shift across the UAE as several companies are re-evaluating the 3:2 hybrid norm adopted during the pandemic,” said Priyanka Dalvi, global people officer with Airpay Payment Services.

“For many, especially in sectors where collaboration, client interface, or sales momentum are critical, a 4:1 or even a full five-day in-office model offers stronger alignment with business goals.”

A major reason for the drift away from working remotely for many firms was the need to make the most out of the physical office space, she added.

“One of the largest inefficiencies we saw early on was an under-leveraged office space. In a market like the UAE, where speed and synergy are crucial, having individuals collaborate in the same location drives results and energises teams,” said Ms Dalvi.

“As more businesses adopt this approach, it is evident that a single one-size-fits-all hybrid model may not be equally suitable for all business situations.”

Jessica Taylor, group chief operating officer with Cavendish Maxwell said two days each week working remotely works best for her company.

Another recruitment expert said companies bringing the entire staff back to the office on a permanent basis in the UAE was becoming all the more common, however she stressed that did not mean it was necessarily the right idea for all firms.

“We are seeing it more and more with companies bringing their teams back into the office full-time,” said Megha Gupta, chief executive of Converge, a Dubai-based recruitment consultancy, which currently operates under a hybrid model with two days a week in the office.

“It wasn’t about choosing between remote or in-office but finding a rhythm that feels right. That’s how we landed on our current approach. It’s not about clocking hours it’s about the energy that comes from being in the same room.

“The unplanned chats. The shared laughter. The space to think together, not just speak. Those moments have brought us closer as a team. They have helped us move faster, listen better, and show up more fully for each other, and for our clients.”

Room for both?

Other experts are equally vocal about the hybrid model, spending some days in the office, while the others working from home, being here to stay.

“At Cavendish Maxwell, we firmly believe that flexibility underpins a high-performing and engaged workforce,” said Jessica Taylor, group chief operating officer with the property consultants. “Our hybrid working model – which allows employees to choose one of two designated remote-working days each week – strikes the right balance between collaboration and focused execution.

“While some may view a five-day return to the office as inevitable, our data shows that a well-structured hybrid model can be both effective and sustainable. We have no plans to move away from it.”