Date: 09/03/2025
Author: Group CEO Sarah Walker-Smith
The traditional five-day, 9-to-5 office workweek is a relic of a bygone era; one that no longer aligns with the realities of today’s workforce. It was designed for a post-war world without the internet, where a single breadwinner often supported a household, commutes were shorter and more affordable, and work was primarily location-based with minimal national or international collaboration.
Fast forward to the 21st century, particularly our post-COVID world, and the landscape of work has changed dramatically. Rigid, one-size-fits-all work patterns are outdated and counterproductive. Empowered working - a balance of flexibility, productivity and connectivity; designed by individuals and teams to meet their clients needs and personal preferences is a much more effective model.
The problems with a fixed office-based model
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It excludes talent
A mandatory five-day office presence limits opportunities for individuals based on geography, caregiving responsibilities, and personal working styles. Many professionals excel at different times of the day or require flexibility to balance work and life effectively.
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No evidence supports higher productivity
There is no compelling data to suggest that being in an office five days a week is inherently more productive than hybrid or remote models. Commutes often result in lost time, and open-office environments can be distracting for tasks that require deep focus. While in-person collaboration fosters innovation and community, the best approach balances these benefits with the flexibility to work in a way that maximizes individual and team productivity.
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We measure what truly matters
Our focus is on outcomes, not outdated work patterns. What truly matters is retention, talent attraction, employee happiness, client satisfaction, and meeting our financial goals. What we have found is that there is no correlation between these critical success factors and the number of days our teams spend in the office. The argument that employees need to be physically present in an office to be effective simply does not hold up in our experience.
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Technology is redefining the office’s purpose
The next 2–3 years will bring even greater technological advancements, further shifting the role of the office. Increasingly, it will become a hub for connection and collaboration, rather than a primary place of work. Of course, some people may need supervision or require a quiet space to work, but the key is individual context and flexibility.
To support this shift, we are redesigning our hubs across the country, ensuring they serve their new role of bringing people together while maintaining our commitment to empowered working. We view this flexibility as one of the silver linings of the pandemic; a long-overdue shift that benefits both individuals and organisations.
Workplace skills and the new generation
Some have argued that younger professionals lack the necessary workplace skills and should therefore be in the office full-time to develop them. However, it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure they are given the right opportunities to learn and grow. Simply being in an office five days a week does not automatically equate to skill development. A structured approach to mentoring, training, and collaboration, whether in person or virtual, is what truly makes the difference.
Recognising the needs of different roles
Another common argument suggests that because certain roles, such as shop assistants, transport workers, and hospitality workers, must be physically present five days a week, all employees should follow suit. But this logic is flawed.
Just as we wouldn’t expect a receptionist to remain in the office late at night simply because some client-facing teams are working on projects, we shouldn’t impose inflexible office requirements on roles that do not require them. Different jobs have different needs, and the most effective approach is one that balances role requirements with individual flexibility. A rigid, one-size-fits-all system benefits no one.
The four-day workweek debate
We are often asked whether a four-day workweek should be adopted. While it is an interesting model, we believe our empowered working approach already provides a more flexible and personalised version of the same concept. Our people have the autonomy to manage their diaries, and as long as they deliver their objectives and work effectively within their teams, they may well choose to condense their workweek when it suits all.
A mandatory four-day workweek, however, risks becoming just another rigid structure, no different from the outdated five-day model we challenge. Instead, we champion true flexibility that aligns with business needs, individual preferences, and team collaboration.
Moving forward, not backward
Leaders who insist that success is only demonstrated through full-time office presence are clinging to an outdated mindset. The future of work is about moving forward, not backward adapting to new realities while drawing lessons from the past.
We are committed to a workplace model that values results, talent, and well-being over outdated traditions.
The future of work is flexible, personalised, inclusive and driven by outcomes, balancing flexibility, productivity and connectivity, not by outdated rules about where and when work happens.