"Framed as flexibility and culture-building, the quiet shift is reshaping what "hybrid" really means in 2026. The phrase, which appears to have been coined by the UK-based videoconferencing software maker Owl Labs in its 2025 state of hybrid work report, describes a slow, often unspoken expansion of in‑office expectations, where a nominal two- or three-day schedule gradually tilts toward a de facto full-time presence."
"Hybrid creep often starts with adding more "anchor days," as noted by Stylist, or days when teams are expected in the office for meetings, collaboration sessions, or client visits. Over time, those anchors spread across the week, making it harder for employees to keep meaningful work-from-home days. Promotions and plum assignments increasingly flow to the people who show up the most, sending a clear signal visibility matters as much as-or more than-output."
"At the same time, companies roll out social perks-free lunches, events, guest speakers-to make the office feel like the center of professional life again. Many managers complain they still struggle to measure productivity and mentor staff they rarely see, especially younger workers learning on the job. Hybrid creep offers a way to restore in‑person oversight and informal coaching while avoiding the public relations hit"
Hybrid creep denotes a gradual expansion of in-office expectations that transforms nominal two- or three-day hybrid schedules into de facto full-time presence. The term was linked to Owl Labs' 2025 report and describes slow, often unspoken policy drift. Employers add anchor days, increase visibility-based rewards, and offer social perks to make the office central to professional life. Anchor days and spreading expectations erode meaningful remote work. Promotions and desirable assignments disproportionately go to frequent attendees. Managers cite difficulties measuring productivity and mentoring remote staff as drivers for restoring in-person oversight and informal coaching while avoiding overt mandates.
Read at Fortune
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]