The importance of location: The #1 culture driver

The Global Workplace Happiness Report 2026 analysed 1.9 million individual data points from over 80k employees, spanning 115 countries. The data is clear. Remote and hybrid workers outscore office and field-based workers on nearly every single dimension of workplace experience.

Remote workers report the highest overall happiness. Hybrid workers are close behind. Meanwhile, field-based employees report the lowest scores in the entire study.

Physical office attendance isn’t the primary driver for collaboration or productivity that many assume it to be. In fact, remote workers report the highest scores for their teams’ effectiveness at collaboration. Remote teams leverage intentional communication tools more effectively than those relying on office proximity. They also feel more productive than those sitting in an office.

It’s all about autonomy

Remote and hybrid employees report significantly higher freedom scores. When your people can structure their environment and schedule around the actual task rather than the rhythms of an open office, performance goes up.

Giving people more control over their location isn’t just a “perk”. It’s a powerful driver of retention and advocacy. For most of the workforce, flexible models optimise long-term commitment.

Is your current work-style policy based on evidence or just tradition?

The benefit of getting this right is massive. You’ll move from a rigid structure to one that supports genuine focus and loyalty.

Ready to dive deeper? 

Download The Global Workplace Happiness Report 2026 >

Many leaders use the report to understand trends about workplace culture from similar organisations. However, the real value comes from applying those insights to your specific data and context. If you’re interested, I’d be happy to:

Share details on our custom, board-level reports, which offer custom benchmarks using our 1.9 million data points.

Connect you with a consultant to discuss how other organisations are using this approach to drive organisational performance.