Vialto Partners survey finds high stakes battle between employees and employers when it comes to the future of work

While most employers expect remote work arrangements to increase over the next two years, they are introducing more guardrails to mitigate risk

LONDON—April 4, 2024—Vialto Partners, a leading provider of globally integrated solutions supporting global workforce mobility, today announced findings from its latest survey, which found that nearly two thirds of employers monitored whether employees adhered to on-site requirements (64%). Interestingly, only 20% of employers took disciplinary action if their workers were not compliant, highlighting the continuing tug of war between employees and employers on return-to-office policies and the future of work. This and other findings are shared in Vialto Partner’s 2024 global survey on workforce trends: Mobility Agility: Remote working and non-traditional mobility.

“Over the last few years, we’ve seen a workplace dynamic in which more employees wanted to work virtually, and employers had to adjust to that reality in order to attract and retain the best people,” said Amanda McIntyre, Partner and global leader of Vialto Partners’ Remote Work practice.

“But that has changed. And while remote work isn’t going away, fully remote work will shrink in 2024 and beyond,” she said. “Hybrid work is becoming the new normal, with virtually every organization we spoke to permitting hybrid work, which we define as splitting the work week from home or an office in the same country.”

Redefining ‘remote’
The workplace is now a high stakes battle between employers and employees over their preferred way of working, creating a more agile workforce, mobile in ways not previously seen.

• International short-term remote working—sometimes called ‘vacation remote’ or ‘workcation’, in which employees combine vacation with remote work—has doubled in prevalence since 2022. Sixty-nine percent of organizations formally support it, and 96% of large employers (those with 100,000+ employees) offer an international short-term remote work program.
• Virtual assignments (VA) are increasingly becoming the norm, with 64% of participants anticipating an increase in VA.
• Fully remote work, however, is expected to shrink slightly in 2024 and beyond, with the new normal becoming hybrid work. The survey found that 98% of organizations now allow hybrid working.

Big Brother is back
With great freedom comes great responsibility. Employees may enjoy more workplace flexibility, but companies are instituting more guardrails and governance to protect them from risks, as new security and compliance issues arise.

• Sixty-five percent of employers use some form of “Big Brother” monitoring of required days in the office—with Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays being favored for mandatory in-office days.
• Punishment is not widespread though, with only 20% of employers taking disciplinary action against workers violating these guidelines—ranging from warnings, to performance management feedback, to disciplinary action.
• Increasingly, organizations track short-term international remote working out of concern for employee personal security (59%).

“Tracking allows employers to assess and manage cross-border compliance risks, and, increasingly, mitigate cybersecurity concerns,” said McIntyre. “But in today’s turbulent geopolitical climate, one of the more compelling reasons to track remote work is to protect employees’ personal security and allow fast action in the event of a major political event or natural disaster.”

The new water cooler moments
The pandemic compelled teams to work effectively without face-to-face, in-person interactions. One of the unintended consequences—and benefits—was that employees recognized the opportunity to connect with one another beyond physically located teams.

“The organizational connective tissue that may have been damaged as a result of hybrid working has found a new and positive replacement: global collaboration and the opportunity to be part of a broader team,” Eileen Mullaney, Partner and Global Workforce Transformation Leader said. “Virtual assignments enable employees and teams to collaborate in ways that reduce costs and lower their carbon footprint, while still feeling connected to something bigger. It can also help in developing a broader, more cohesive global culture, and sparking creativity.”

Survey methodology
From November 14 to December 15, 2023, Vialto Partners surveyed 450 executives leading global mobility efforts for organizations across finance, HR, and tax divisions. Respondents were based in 45 countries—52% from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa; 32% from the Americas; and 15% from Asia-Pacific—and represented eight industry verticals.

The full report can be found at www.vialtopartners.com/insights/mobility-agility-remote-working-and-non-traditional-mobility

About Vialto Partners
Vialto Partners is a market leader providing globally integrated solutions supporting global workforce mobility, including immigration, tax, managed services, and digital solutions. As a trusted advisor of compliance, consulting and technology services to multinational corporations, the firm solves complex, cross-border workforce mobility challenges to ensure its clients and their employees have a consistent and compliant global mobility experience.

For more information: 

Jennifer Homa
Senior Vice President, Corporate Practice, BCW
Tel: +1.917.716.0755

Ian Cluroe 
Vialto Partners