Five years ago, the COVID-19 pandemic struck and changed the way many of us live and work – seemingly forever. As lockdowns eventually lifted, hybrid and flexible working patterns became the new ‘normal’. And as millions globally adjusted to the new hybrid world, demand for housing with office space grew in many markets and the make-up of local communities changed.¹

Now, five years on, that sense of permanence is fading as the employment world debates whether remote, hybrid and flexible working patterns are best for business. Workers who moved outside of expensive cities to more rural, affordable or desirable lifestyles are among those now being called back to central working locations.  

And many multinationals are among the employers currently weighing up the pros and cons of whether to maintain the status quo – or require their people to return to in-person workspaces and pre-pandemic work schedules.

As the debate rages on and multinationals consider their options, it’s worth re-considering the role of flexible working on both employee health and wellbeing and employee benefits (EB) trends.

Before we dive into the discussion around how work location can affect factors from health to inclusivity, it’s worth looking at what the flexible working landscape looks like for employees.

Firstly, it’s important to define what we are talking about when we are referring to ‘flexible working’. In this article we’ll be using it as an all-encompassing term that describes fully remote or hybrid working patterns that balance working from home and presence in a physical workspace.

A new Aon survey shows flexible working remains one of the top five most influential workplace characteristics attracting talent in 2025.² In Australia, flexible working ranks among the top five most valued workplace benefits among employees – particularly among Gen Z, Millennials and Baby Boomers. The picture is similar in France, Germany, Brazil and Colombia, where flexible working is highly valued across generations.

Interestingly, Aon’s data indicates that hybrid workers worldwide feel more valued by their employers than their fully remote counterparts. Hybrid workers are more likely to describe their wellbeing as thriving or good, while fully remote employees tend to report feeling undervalued and struggling with their wellbeing.

Flexible working appears to be drawing a bigger, more global talent pool to multinationals. According to Aon’s report, the remote working trend has raised the profile of multinational companies among jobseekers who are interested in accessing a broader range of roles and salaries across borders.

The flexible working debate has generated plenty of discussion over whether working from home is enabling people to lead healthier lifestyles. Some workers relish flexible working conditions to improve their lifestyle – spending more time with loved ones, making fresh food at home, getting outdoors to enjoy the daylight and nature during breaks, and exercising at times that fit around their remote workday.

Others can fall into unhealthy habits – sitting for long periods without breaks, struggling to exercise, and making unhealthy food choices.

We’re likely all aware the impacts of sedentary roles involving sitting at a desk in front of a computer on employees’ health. Sedentary roles trigger potential for associated health issues like musculoskeletal disease (MSK) – which our claims data shows is continuing to be a leading cost driver globally for multinationals’ claims spending, in a trend that pre-dates the pandemic.³

The World Health Organization warns that the combination of physical inactivity, poor nutrition and unhealthy habits like smoking tobacco are contributing to the global rapid rise of chronic but preventable conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity.⁴

It’s hard to say conclusively whether flexible working directly makes employees healthier, as so much of it is down to individual choice and action. Whether a worker is flourishing or floundering, working from home or in a traditional workplace, the additional flexibility of a hybrid role puts the power in the employees’ hands. Of course, multinationals can nudge them into healthy choices.

Workers often value a hybrid work situation for improving work-life balance. Being able to cut out the commute and work from home can allow people to balance everyday life tasks around their work day – with the potential to reduce stress and boost productivity.

Indeed, studies claim hybrid workers do eat more healthily, exercise more, sleep for longer – and report being more productive, too.⁵ Hybrid workers told one survey a healthy work-life balance allows them to spend more time with friends and family and on hobbies that improve their wellbeing.⁶

On the flipside, the rise of remote working has also been linked to the ‘loneliness epidemic’ in some parts of the world. Of course, this can’t be completely blamed on the remote working trend. As pandemic restrictions took hold around the world in 2020, Generation Z was finishing school and entering into adulthood. Consequently, many of the youngest generation in today’s workforce have begun their careers and adult social lives replacing in-person contact with screen-time. This generation may be more vulnerable to mental health issues due to this isolation and the rise of technologies that replace in-person conversations.⁸ Virtual working also means employees can’t always see their colleagues struggling, potentially limiting opportunities for employers to intervene and offer wellbeing support.

While much of the debate around flexible working has clear pros and cons, its positive effects on inclusivity in the workplace are difficult to argue with.

Parents, other caregivers and people living with disability or chronic illness benefit greatly from working from home and on flexible schedules. Reversing these working arrangements could directly impact these groups, who are traditionally at risk of being forced to reduce working hours or quit their jobs entirely. ^10,11 For groups who have been disproportionately affected by workplace inequities that impact their career advancement, the availability of hybrid or fully remote roles may expand the career opportunities available to them.