The incoming Government is facing criticism for its decision to review hybrid working for Civil Servants.

Meanwhile in the US, President Donald Trump has ordered all federal workers to return to the office full-time.

This has prompted some to wonder if the future of remote work is at risk.

On The Pat Kenny Show, work and coaching psychologist Leisha Redmond McGrath said she thinks a hybrid model is the best way forward.

“I think that we can’t really have a one-size-fits-all,” she said.

“I think we need to look when we’re making these decisions, we need to think strategically.

“We need to look at what the future of our organisations are going to look like and what the talent that are going to fuel those organisations need – and what they need is a sense of balance and connection.”

File photo dated 03/03/20 of a woman using a laptop on a dining room table set up as a remote office to work from home.

Spokesperson for communications agency Fuzion Deirdre Waldron said that she believes employees are more productive at home – but that office time is still essential.

“You might not have as productive a day as you would at home but it’s just so good for the soul and for wellbeing that we kind of celebrate when people come in,” she said.

“In fact, we have one day a month, even before we went working remotely, where we come in; we call it fusion Friday, where the whole team gather.

“It’s a very unproductive day I’d say client work wise but we connect as a team, we break bread together as a team and we continue to do that now.”

'Be careful what you wish for'

One listener texted into the show to say that employers should be careful what they wish for when it comes to getting rid of remote work.

“Whenever I hear about the push for a full return to the office, the benefits of working from home or hybrid working for the employer are rarely mentioned,” James from Cork said.

“I broke my ankle last year; I missed two days of work – one for the surgery and one to recover the next day - in an office-based world I’d have missed six weeks.

“We’ve had multiple storms in recent years that would typically prevent people from getting to an office, but most people were able to work away as normal.

“Some employers should be careful what they wish for when they’re looking for a full return to the office.”

Ms Waldron said she doesn’t expect to see any ‘contagion’ from Trump’s US policies in this regard.

Main image: A busy woman working on her laptop while holding her baby in her lap. Image: LightField Studios Inc. / Alamy Stock Photo