What Irish Employees Really Think About In-Office Mandates
Would the number of days required on-site determine whether you wanted to leave your current role?
Well, according to our latest guide, From Hybrid to HQ: The Impact of Return to Office on Financial Services in Ireland, that is the exact case for 63% of employees in Ireland.
In fact, 60% of employees feel less productive in the office. And 64% of employees are feeling higher levels of stress and burnout as a result of increased in-office expectations.
Meanwhile, with the rising cost of living, 70% of workers say that increased time in-office is requiring them to have higher pay to cover the rising costs of traveling to the office. And, there’s a deeper impact on female employees.
So, what should we know about why many employers in the Financial Services sector are increasing their in-office expectations, and what are the benefits of it that both employers and employees agree on?
We asked Eoin Connolly, Executive Director at Morgan McKinley, who has spent over a decade working in Banking & Financial Services recruiting exactly that.
1. Only Half of Irish Workers Are Satisfied With Their Current Model
When asked whether they were satisfied with their current in-office expectations, over half (51%) of workers said they were dissatisfied, a rate that was only 47% for female respondents. So, why is working from the office so crucial to the biggest multinational companies in Financial Services, such as JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs and BlackRock? For legacy and practical reasons, says Eoin:
“Financial Services is a more traditional industry when you compare it to some of the other industries that have been driving remote work, like tech. With the regulatory nature of say, Risk & Compliance, there is an expectation (be it for governance or otherwise) that an in-office presence is required.”
Over half of employers (51%) and over a quarter of employees (28%) recognise the value of learning and mentorship that comes from in-office work and certain roles will really benefit from ‘on the desk’ learning: “A lot of clients we speak with truly believe in the value of graduates in particular, benefiting from being in the office. The flip side of that is they also need their leaders in the office, and often that is the biggest challenge.”
2. Employers May Be Overestimating In-Office Productivity
Learning and mentorship isn’t the only place that both employers and employees see value from office mandates. Nearly three quarters of employers (73%) and nearly half of employees (47%) rank enhanced collaboration as their top benefit. Productivity, however, we’re not fully agreed on, with 60% of employees and 33% of employers reporting lower productivity when working from the office.
Eoin’s advice for this? “Firstly, I would look at the data. Is their current mandate creating a more productive office with a strong culture? Are they getting feedback from their staff on their current policy and how it is working? Is it effective, is it impacting a positive work place?”
Often it can be a communication piece during the hiring process: “Very often candidates don’t understand the thinking behind in-office presence, they think it’s just a demanding CEO. Sell the benefits of joining your company and why you have an expectation for them to be in the office for a set period of time. You would be surprised how this is so rarely communicated effectively.”
3. Strict Office Mandates Are Impacting Recruitment
In our 2025 Workplace Trends Report (our 2026 report is coming next month), we found that 62% of job seekers who have rejected an offer due to a lack of flexibility. In our Hybrid to HQ report, we found that 44% of employers were experiencing recruitment challenges due to increased office mandates. So, what can hiring teams and candidates alike do to ensure they’re not wasting each other’s time?
Eoin has the following advice for employers: “I think transparency, on both sides, is absolutely critical here. My advice to companies hiring is to have a policy that you can stand behind and is evidently working well for you.”
When it comes to jobseekers on the other hand: “Have an open mind. We often speak to candidates who are interested in roles with 3 days in the office - but are totally opposed to any roles we have that are 4 days, for example. Don’t be afraid to ask if they can flex on it - but equally, if they can’t, try not to let a great opportunity pass you by for the sake of an extra day in the office.”
4. In-Office Time Is Particularly Important For Financial Services
The flip side of some of your competitors opting for a full, five-day return to office is that if you’re not opting to go down that road, there will likely be movement on the market from excellent candidates who leave these firms. Although Eoin says that hybrid work is still top of the list above pay, Irish firms tend to be more flexible:
“The norm is still three days in-office and two remote. We are seeing a number of companies moving to four and one but all five in the office is still less common. Top firms like JP Morgan and other high-profile names are paying competitive money and they look after their staff very well. So competitors need to be able to compete with more than just the five days with most of those businesses.”
He adds: “For certain people, whether it’s their commute or personal life reasons, the benefits of more flexibility with remote work can outweigh anything else. And we do see companies taking advantage of these opportunities. So my advice to our clients who offer competitive flexibility is leading with this message within their recruitment process.”
5. Workers Want ‘Flexi-Time’ Rather Than Remote Work
But sometimes it may not always be a matter of more time at home. In our report, it was found that nearly half (48%) of the Irish workforce have caregiving duties (or 51% of females versus 45% of males). Even if you’ve decided that a four- or five-day in-office policy is right for you, you can stay competitive by offering flexible work - i.e. adjusting their hours to look after loved ones.
Eoin explains: “I think the lines often get blurred when it comes to remote working and flexible working. We speak to lots of jobseekers who are happy with, for example, 4 days in the office. But they need ‘flexi-time’; they have a creche run, an elderly parent etc. Companies veering towards more days in the office need to ensure this flexibility is there; you can’t ask for both.”
He adds: “I would advise candidates to be open about this from the start and encourage clients to embrace it where possible. Life typically only gets in the way of work when you’re chained to a desk. If you have flexibility with your hours (even if in-office) I believe it empowers people and shows your employer values and trusts you. And that is what companies are fundamentally built on.”
Want to learn what employees really think about office mandates? Download our new report – or speak to one of our consultants about your hiring.
