6 • Finance, Legal & Accounting Hybrid price tag
Te pandemic was a catalyst for exploring different working models, but what are the costs of continuing to do so? CFO Calvin Sellers reveals all. Words: Priya Raj
A
ccording to the Office for National Statistics, 28% of working adults in the UK
hybrid worked between January and March 2025. Calvin Sellers, a consultant CFO who’s worked with multiple high-growth businesses, credits the pandemic for the increased interest in alternative working models, but five years later, some companies are choosing to return to a standard in-office working week. Here, Calvin discusses the costs associated with switching, as well as the best options for businesses today.
SHOULD ALL BUSINESSES CONTINUE TO HYBRID WORK? This operates as a continuous spectrum. Different organisations will look to place themselves where they believe their ROI [return on investment] is greatest at that particular point in time. It’s critical for organisations to keep [this] under continual review to ensure they can adapt to changes in external forces, internal pressures and opportunities.
HOW IMPORTANT IS THE WORKING MODEL TO A COMPANY’S FINANCES? As CFO, I view costs associated with people as short-term and long- term investments. Maximising the ROI is core to a business’s success. Differential direct costs along the spectrum from fully on-site through to fully remote include property costs and commitments, office equipment, [but also] commuting costs, time and work-life balance, and investment into culture building. As we examine these components, it’s important to keep focus on the ‘R’, which is the value generation to the business. Examples of the return include creativity and employee engagement.
WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH A HYBRID WORKFORCE? Hybrid, while rightly popular, often ends up being the most expensive as companies carry both office and remote costs. These include
Te Finance & Business Guide - brought to you by APL Media • Wednesday 22 October 2025
HYBRID WORKING/PEXELS
inappropriate office sizing — too small, meaning people can’t collaborate when required, or too large, creating wasted space, often on specific days where utilisation rates are [generally] lower like Mondays and Fridays. Duplicate costs for IT and cybersecurity also factor in; or perhaps worse — inadequate cybersecurity from home. Plus, there are coordination and collaboration costs like space management.
IS A REMOTE, INTERNATIONAL WORKFORCE ACTUALLY THE CHEAPEST OPTION? For businesses under pressure to cut costs, remote workforces can be a
powerful level — provided they plan carefully for IT, compliance, quality and culture. The real savings arise not just from closing offices, but from redesigning how people work, connect and collaborate. There can be some hidden costs associated with [an international workforce]: the potential for creating a tax and legal presence with a remote or hybrid international workforce as well as other legal and compliance costs like local labour laws, employee rights and mandatory benefits. If international talent prefers to operate outside of a payroll-based relationship for tax efficiency, higher rates may be payable to offset benefits, holidays and security.
WHAT SHOULD BUSINESSES WEIGH UP BEFORE MOVING TOWARDS REMOTE WORKING? Focusing on how your business evolves, becomes more agile and gets stronger is time well spent for any modern business leader. Leaders should think carefully about how [they] will replace in- office touchpoints with deliberate practices that keep people aligned and engaged, whether a change in organisational structure will improve the quality of products and services, and what investment is required to ensure your systems, data protection and support scale to a fully distributed team.
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