Spaniards at the forefront of office work, although they still prefer hybrids
71% of Spaniards would work for a company that did not offer remote work solutions, although 49% prefer semi-distance work to in-office and remote models and only 13% prefer full-time remote work, according to a study by the Marco agency, in collaboration with Cint. Seventy percent of all respondents internationally are satisfied with work-life balance.
The ‘Global Framework Report on the New Consumer’, corresponding to 2024, reveals that 44% of employees across all countries surveyed prefer hard work, although they are also receptive to face-to-face work.
The survey was conducted between December 2023 and January 2024, with the participation of a representative sample of consumers from 11 countries: Spain, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Portugal, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Spanish people lead the way in office work
Despite these preferences, when it comes to applying for new positions, internationally there is a general acceptance of a variety of different work models, with a remarkable 64% willing to work for a company that does not offer the possibility of hybrid work, and only 36% rejecting it.
In Spain we are the country with the highest acceptance, and the figure rises to 71% willing to work for a company, even when hybrid work is not an option, although if we have a choice we still prefer hybrid work to the traditional face-to-face model or full-time teleworking.
On the other hand, France is the most exclusionary country towards models other than hybrid work, with 50% refusing to work in a company that does not offer the possibility of hybrid work. This tolerance for other models, coupled with the growing popularity of hybrid work models, shows an overall positive sentiment toward a variety of different work arrangements.
The overall results highlight a majority preference for hybrid work over other models (44%), followed closely by traditional office-based work (40%), with fully remote work considerably less favored among consumers (16%).
Portugal is the country with the strongest preference for hybrid work (53%), while the United States favors this new model much less (25%), and was also the only country surveyed that preferred full-time, in-person work (54%). With the exception of the United States, the growing general acceptance of hybrid work means greater demand for flexibility and balance in professional environments.
"Our approach to work culture must evolve at the same pace as society to respond accordingly to people's demands. The rise of hybrid work models gives organizations the opportunity to re-evaluate traditional norms and adopt a more flexible and inclusive way of working, while reinforcing internal communication strategies to keep employees engaged and fully motivated," said Carlos Garcí,a Head of Stkeholder Relations and Internal Comms at Marco.
Work-life balance is a global reality
With regard to work-life balance increasingly desired by employees, a significant 70% of global respondents said that the current work culture or labor laws in their respective countries allow them to achieve a good work-life balance. However, 30% expressed dissatisfaction, indicating possible areas for improvement in the work culture and legislative frameworks.
The countries with the most satisfied employees in terms of work-life balance were the UK and South Africa (both 77%), France (76%) and Mexico (73%).
In Spain the vast majority are satisfied with the current legislation regarding the reconciliation of work and family life with almost 70% in favor, keeping us in the international average.
In contrast, Portuguese respondents feel less supported by their labor legislation, with only 56% believing that the current work culture or labor legislation allows them to achieve a good work-life balance.