The Global Workplace Report 2025 from analytics firm WorkL draws on responses from more than 500,000 employees in more than 100 countries and reports an average global engagement score of 75 percent, similar to recent years.

Engagement varies by region, with countries such as India, the Philippines, and the United Arab Emirates recording higher than average scores.

Working pattern strongly correlates with engagement: employees in hybrid roles report engagement of 77 percent, fully remote workers 76 percent, and employees who are not allowed to work from home around 72 percent.

The report notes a trend toward "career minimalism," in which some employees, particularly men, prioritize predictable flexibility and balance over traditional advancement.

Source: https://workplaceinsight.net/global-survey-points-to-ongoing-yearning-for-flexible-work/

So, the question for our readers is: Which Environment Engages Employees Better?

Here is the opinion of one of the McCalmon editorial staff:

Jack McCalmon, Esq.

Our group has operated remotely since well before the pandemic, and for our work, it has proven both productive and engaging, from what I can tell. I write that because if I suddenly required everyone to report to a single office every day, I have no doubt I would lose talented people who value working from home more than the work they do for the group - that is reality.

Nevertheless, our group is structured in a way that supports a remote model, and that makes flexibility a practical option for us. That is not true for every organization, and for some roles a remote environment simply is not workable. It is also worth noting that a significant number of employees in many sectors are essentially field-based, and their experience often is not captured in these surveys about remote and office work.

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