The Hybrid Work Playbook 2026: How to Build an Office Worth Coming To

Our new report draws on research from Gallup, Stanford, KPMG, Kastle, Owl Labs, the CIPD, and Leesman to show what the best hybrid offices do differently. Here’s what’s inside and how to get your copy.

Hybrid work is a model where employees split their week between the office and a remote location, on a set or flexible schedule.

We asked why teams come into the office. The answers were about the people: the energy of a room working through a problem, the ideas that show up when you’re sitting next to someone.

That question sits behind our new report, The Hybrid Work Playbook 2026. For most organisations, hybrid is now simply how work happens: some people in part of the time, others remote, everyone managing the in-between. Having a hybrid policy and running a hybrid office well are two different things. The companies that get the most from hybrid (better collaboration, lower costs, higher retention) do a handful of things differently, and the report turns those into habits any office team can apply.

Why You Need This Report

Good workplace decisions start with current data, not last year’s assumptions. The 2026 playbook is built for HR leaders, workplace and facilities managers, and operations teams who decide how office space gets used.

It draws on independent research from Gallup, Stanford, KPMG, Kastle Systems, Owl Labs, the CIPD, and Leesman, then pairs each finding with a practical step. You’ll see where your office stands today and what to focus on next.

Key Highlights

Three numbers set the scene:

• 51% of remote-capable employees now work hybrid, making it the dominant model for knowledge workers. (Gallup)
• Office occupancy reached about 56% at its post-pandemic peak in late 2025, so a large share of desks still sit empty on a typical day. (Kastle Systems)
• Resignations fell by 33% when employees moved from full-time office to a hybrid schedule, with no loss of productivity. (Stanford/Nature)

From there, the report covers:

• The four problems most hybrid offices hit: more people than desks on busy days, meeting rooms booked but empty, parking that adds friction before the commute, and policies that exist on paper but aren’t measured.
• The five things the best hybrid offices do: design for focus and collaboration, give people visibility before they commute, manage and measure space, hold the policy line with data instead of pressure, and treat work-life balance as a business outcome.
• How OfficeRnD Workplace supports each practice.

Why This Matters Now

There’s a growing gap between what leaders expect and what’s happening. In KPMG’s CEO Outlook, 83% of CEOs said they expected a full return to the office within three years, yet occupancy has settled well below that. (KPMG CEO Outlook) The CIPD found 70% of employees say the pressure to return comes from senior leaders. (CIPD)

Mandates alone don’t fill an office. The retention case does: people value hybrid at roughly 8% of salary, and many say they’d start job hunting if flexible work were taken away. (Owl Labs / Stanford) The offices that win attendance make coming in easy and worth it, then use attendance data to improve.

A Resource Worth Exploring

The playbook is practical. Every section pairs a finding with a step you can take this quarter, whether you track bookings already or are starting from a spreadsheet.

It also shows where software helps. OfficeRnD Workplace is workplace management software for desk, meeting room, and parking booking with attendance analytics, built to help hybrid teams plan office days and see how space is used. Each practice in the playbook maps to something Workplace does out of the box.

Claim Your Free Copy Today

Download The Hybrid Work Playbook 2026 here.

Want to see it applied to your office? Book a 30-minute demo and we’ll show how Workplace fits your floor plan, team size, and hybrid policy. Not ready for a demo? Start with the Office Space Calculator to see how your hybrid policy translates into the space you need.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is hybrid work?

Hybrid work is a model where employees split their week between the office and a remote location, on a set or flexible schedule. The most common pattern is three days in, two remote.

Is hybrid work still common in 2026?

Yes. About 51% of remote-capable employees work hybrid, the most common arrangement for knowledge workers. (Gallup)

How many days a week do hybrid employees work in the office?

Most structured policies ask for three office days, often Tuesday to Thursday, when attendance naturally clusters.

Does hybrid work reduce productivity?

The largest controlled study to date found no drop in productivity or promotions when employees moved to a hybrid schedule, and resignations fell by 33%. (Stanford/Nature)

Why do employees come into the office?

When you ask them, the answer is usually people and collaboration rather than the desk. Offices that make it easy to see who’s in and plan around teammates get higher, more intentional attendance.

How do you tell if a hybrid policy is working?

Track real attendance and space use. Booking and occupancy data show whether patterns match the policy, which days hit capacity, and which desks or rooms go unused. OfficeRnD Workplace reports this at team level without monitoring individuals.