- 86% of UK employees now use AI at work, with 57% saying it has increased how much they are expected to get done in a day
- 92% say the right incentives would bring them into the office more often, though 60% would prefer to work in a hybrid model
- 35% say their work-related stress has increased in the past year, and 37% describe themselves as disengaged at work
- 59% say their employer uses monitoring software, and 82% want disclosure to become a legal requirement
AI use is now near-universal across the UK workforce, office policies are continuing to shift, and employees are reporting higher levels of stress, according to hybrid meeting technology leader Owl Labs' 10th annual State of Hybrid Work Report, which launches today. The report is based on a nationally representative survey of 2,014 full-time employees across the UK, as part of a global survey of over 8,000 respondents.
The research looks at AI adoption, employer monitoring, employee wellbeing, and the day-to-day experience of hybrid meetings. Among the headline findings, 86% of UK employees now use AI at work, 60% would prefer to work in a hybrid model, and 92% say the right incentives would bring them into the office more often.
AI-enabled workflows have become the norm
AI has become a non-negotiable tool for the UK workday. Nearly nine in 10 employees (86%) report some degree of AI use at work, with most (27%) using it daily or several times a week (26%). Millennials are the most likely to use the technology daily (32%), compared to 17% of Gen X and just 11% of Boomers. Just over a quarter (26%) of AI users are using tools not officially improved by their employer, often known as "shadow AI" usage. This rises to 32% amongst Gen Z.
AI tools have brought advantages for UK workers, with over two-thirds (68%) reporting that it has made them more productive and able to complete more tasks, and 60% finding that AI skills improve their chance of a promotion. However, respondents also raise concerns, with over half (57%) stating that AI has increased expectations of the amount of work they should complete in a day. Others are apprehensive about job security, with two in five (39%) worried that AI will render their role obsolete, a trend that rises to 43% among Gen Z.
Office policies are still shifting, and most employees remain open to the office
One in three (31%) respondents report that their employer changed their remote or hybrid policy in the last year, compared to 24% in 2025. UK workers continue to believe that maintaining leadership oversight and visibility is the central motivation behind return-to-office (RTO) policies, cited by 73% in 2026 and 78% in 2025. If the ability to work hybrid or remotely were taken away, 29% would start to look for a new role that offered more flexibility, an increase from 27% in 2025.
Most employees are far from anti-office. The vast majority (92%) say that they could be convinced to come to the office if their employer offered additional incentives to do so, including improved compensation (33%), being able to choose their in-office days (31%), and an employer-subsidised commute (29%). Six in 10 (60%) would prefer to work in a hybrid model, with 11% seeking a fully remote arrangement.
Work-to-rule, job hugging, and billboard days: how UK employees are responding
The report also identifies a series of workplace behaviours that employees are adopting in response to changing expectations, from limiting work to what is formally required to timing office attendance around senior leaders.
Workplace trends in 2026
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Stress is rising, with engagement under pressure
When asked about their biggest concerns at work, respondents first cited a lack of career progression (44%) and job stability worries (40%), alongside a lack of flexibility (39%) and being forced into the office full-time (39%). Over one in three (35%) say that their work-related stress has increased since last year.
Just over a third (37%) describe themselves as being disengaged at work, driven primarily by burnout (31%), a lack of growth opportunities (25%), and not feeling valued (23%). Burnout is more likely to be felt by women (36%) than men (26%).
"In recent years, many organisations have moved fast to adopt AI and encourage their employees to embrace the office. Employers have seen productivity gains as a result, but employers need to ensure that the technology, platforms, and policies available to their teams are supporting this increasing pace of change," said Frank Weishaupt, CEO, Owl Labs. "The pressure that comes with these rising expectations is starting to show in our data. Doubling down on employee experience, including by offering better technology, is going to be a key part of employers keeping their best people over the next few years.
The strain on employee wellbeing is compounded by a trust gap. Six in 10 employees (59%) say their employer uses some form of monitoring software, most commonly tracking login and logout times (32%), the number of meetings attended (22%) and keyboard activity (15%). The vast majority (82%) believe employers should be legally required to disclose when they're using such tools.
The fix: better meetings and real flexibility
For many employees, the day-to-day reality of hybrid work comes down to the quality of their collaboration with colleagues, and there's clear room for improvement. Two in five (41%) UK workers experience meeting fatigue, largely driven by meetings that are too long (54%) and too many meetings overall (41%).
Technical friction compounds the problem, with lost time due to technical difficulties (73%), not being able to hear everyone (70%) and audio echo or distortion (69%) the most commonly cited issues with hybrid meetings. The "meeting tax" (the time taken to get hybrid meetings started) has dropped from 6.5 minutes in 2025 to 5.9 minutes in 2026, which is welcome progress, though still significant time lost across a working week.
When asked about their company's hybrid meeting technology, 35% say it is effective and they like it, while just over half (51%) say it's merely "fine" and they deal with it. In terms of what employees would prefer, over a third (37%) want a dedicated, one-touch in-room setup, a signal that employees see reliable, well-designed meeting technology as a baseline expectation, not a nice-to-have.
"Fixing meetings alone won't solve the wider pressure employees are under, but it's an effective lever that employers can pull relatively quickly. Genuine flexibility, where employees are given the support and freedom to get their job done, and done well, should be the longer-term strategy for organisations looking to resolve their employee engagement gap. Hybrid is now almost a given, and we should be working towards an environment where trust and transparency are too," concluded Frank Weishaupt, CEO, Owl Labs
To read Owl Labs' full State of Hybrid Work 2026 report and detailed findings, visit https://owllabs.co.uk/state-of-hybrid-work/2026
Methodology
An online survey was conducted in July 2026 by Vitreous World in which 8,025 full-time office workers (in-office, hybrid, and remote) across the UK, US, Germany, and France (minimum 2,000 per market) were interviewed.
About Owl Labs
Owl Labs is the first company to build AI-powered, 360-degree video conferencing solutions for hybrid organisations. Its connected device system and Owl Intelligence System software make meetings more inclusive and collaborative by levelling the playing field between remote and in-room participants. The Meeting Owl 4+ is the latest generation of the first WiFi-enabled, 360-degree camera, microphone and speaker that automatically zooms in on whoever's speaking. Owl Labs has raised $47 million in funding and is based in Boston, with remote and hybrid employees all over the world. To learn more and explore the company's research on the State of Hybrid Work, visit OwlLabs.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260923540405/en/
Contacts:
Megan Hogg
owluk@clarity.global
