Future of Work Index
A NexaTec Research report — March 2026. This is a summary of the full 24-page edition.
Hybrid settles into its final form
The great workplace experiment is over, and hybrid work has won. Our index finds that most knowledge workers now spend two to three days a week in the office, a pattern that has held steady for over a year. Companies that tried to force a full return have largely softened their stance; those that went fully remote are rediscovering the value of occasional in-person collaboration.
The skills premium
Demand for AI literacy now rivals demand for traditional digital skills. Employers increasingly expect staff at all levels to work confidently alongside AI tools, and workers who can do so command a measurable pay premium. Meanwhile, human skills — judgement, communication, creativity — are being valued more explicitly, not less.
Offices get a second act
The office is being redesigned around collaboration rather than concentration. Hot-desking is giving way to bookable team spaces, and the most successful workplaces treat the office as a venue for the work that benefits most from being together: planning, mentoring and creative problem-solving.
What this means for 2026
Flexibility has moved from perk to expectation, and employers competing for talent ignore it at their peril. The winners will be organisations that measure outcomes rather than attendance — and that invest in the skills their people need for an AI-assisted future.
This report is an independent NexaTec Research publication. It is for information and education only. (24 pages, March 2026)
