Employment tribunals relating to remote working have been found to be almost 13% lower in 2025 than in 2024, according to new research by Hamilton Nash.
The HR consultant analysed employment tribunal records and found that 54 tribunals cited remote working in 2025, compared to 62 cases in 2024.
In 2019, there were just six cases relating to remote working that reached an employment tribunal. This figure has grown each year since, rising to 17 in 2020, 27 in 2021, 44 in 2022 and 56 in 2023.
The rise in tribunal numbers continued until 2025, where it then fell.
The analysis suggested that a tighter jobs market, workers deliberately choosing to work for remote-friendly organisations and leaving ones that are not, and the day-one right to flexible working could be some of the reasons for the reduction.
Jim Moore, employee relations expert at Hamilton Nash, said: “With the continuing rise of back to the office mandates, it’s surprising that the number of tribunal cases relating to remote working fell for the first time in six years. When digging into the background, this fall starts to make a lot of sense. Aggressive moves to get employees working four or five days a week from the office are likely to have pushed a lot of workers out of the door as they seek fully remote roles.
“Thanks to the Employment Relations Act, employees have the right to file a flexible working request from day one in a new job. In addition, the tougher jobs market is likely encouraging other dissatisfied employees to keep their heads down, rather than risk their career amid workplace turmoil. Most employees prefer a mix of office and home working, so employers that embrace hybrid working will benefit from their pick of the best workers.”
