A Study of Hybrid Working, Job Satisfaction, Well-being and Productivity

Background Hybrid working has become widespread across the National Health Service (NHS) since the COVID-19 pandemic, yet its implications for wellbeing, job satisfaction, and productivity within Mental Health Services (MHS) remain underexplored. This study examined differences between work patterns (hybrid, office-only, and remote-only) in relation to staff wellbeing and productivity and explored whether individual characteristics influenced these relationships. Method A cross-sectional online survey was completed by 782 NHS MHS staff from 11 NHS Trusts in England between February 2024 and February 2025. Measures assessed work productivity, workplace wellbeing, work-related rumination, break-taking behaviour, extraversion, and sleep quality. Analyses compared outcomes across work patterns and examined demographic moderators. Results Hybrid workers reported significantly higher job satisfaction, organisational respect, sleep quality, and perceived productivity than office-only staff. Within hybrid workers, productivity was higher on working-from-home days than office-based days. Hybrid staff took more breaks overall, but fewer breaks on office days. No differences were found for affective rumination or problem-solving pondering. Older staff and those with lower formal education reported higher productivity when working from home. No gender differences were observed. Conclusion Hybrid working may enhance wellbeing and productivity through increased autonomy, reduced commuting, and improved recovery. Reduced break-taking on office days highlights a potential occupational health risk. Hybrid working was associated with higher wellbeing and productivity, supporting flexible, well-managed hybrid models in NHS mental health services. Trial registration: This trial was pre-registered on AsPredicted (XXXXXX)