Owl Labs research shows the encouragement of AI usage is the main organisational change for UK workers, with three quarters (75%) saying they have been encouraged to use AI tools.
UK workers are stuck in a cycle of distraction fuelled by inefficient workplace technology – and they know it. Owl Labs’, a leader in hybrid collaboration devices, annual State of Hybrid Work Report reveals that good technology is now a top-three priority for UK employees (89%), only narrowly behind compensation (92%), and a supportive manager (91%).
Yet, day-to-day, hybrid meetings are still plagued by WTF (Workplace Tech Frustrations) moments in the workplace, such as technical issues, wasted time and clunky setups, even as employers rapidly introduce AI tools, new meeting room equipment and monitoring software.
Workplace technology has become a core pillar of employee experience
The drive for access to effective digital tools is particularly pronounced in large businesses, where 93% of employees cite good technology as important, compared with 88% in medium-sized organisations and 84% in small businesses. As larger organisations build more complex tech stacks and dispersed teams, expectations rise, but smaller firms must also avoid falling into a cycle of technical difficulties as they scale.
Workforce Expectations by Age Group
Younger workers are especially demanding when it comes to digital experiences.
More than half (54%) of Gen Z and Millennial employees rate good technology as “very important”, compared with roughly a third (35%) of Gen X and Boomers, reflecting a generation that has grown up expecting seamless, consumer-grade tools at work.
More broadly, almost three quarters (74%) of UK employees say they would prefer to work in a hybrid model, with the majority (93%) stating that they would take some form of action if they were no longer allowed to work remotely or hybrid – from expecting a pay rise to actively job hunting or even quitting. Flexibility depends on reliable technology to function in practice, yet many of the tools that workers rely on are still creating friction.
Technology can cause a “hybrid headache”
Most UK workers say hybrid meetings are still far from seamless, with three in four (74%) experiencing challenges.
The most common ‘WTF’ moments include:
- losing time due to technical difficulties (79%)
- audio echo or distortion (78%), and
- missing visual cues (74%).
Technical difficulties are especially common for younger workers, with 82% of Gen Z and 79% of Millennials reporting time lost to tech issues, compared with 73% of Gen X and 72% of Boomers. Even digital natives are struggling to get hybrid meetings to run smoothly. Full-time office workers are hit hardest, with 83% reporting time lost to technical problems, versus 77% of hybrid workers.
Some meetings start late before they’ve even begun, with UK workers wasting an average of 6.5 minutes per meeting just getting meetings set up. At the same time, these touchpoints are at the heart of collaboration, client interactions, and team connection, making reliable tech a non-negotiable foundation for modern work.
Crucially, the sheer presence of technology is not enough; its ease of use and intuitive design are paramount. Ensuring that technology is seamless and reliable will be the foundation for the success of future hybrid workspaces, minimising friction and maximising time spent on meaningful collaboration.
“Technology has moved from a support function to core hybrid infrastructure. When meeting technology fails, it doesn’t just cause mild annoyance, it undermines wellbeing and derails collaboration. Employers and employees alike can’t afford for their most important interactions to be held together by last-minute workarounds,” commented Frank Weishaupt, CEO, Owl Labs.
The great hybrid upgrade: AI and fresh hardware
Against this backdrop, employers are moving fast to modernise their office environments and meeting experiences. Encouraging the use of AI was the number one organisational change reported by UK workers (69%), with the majority (87%) of employees having already experimented with AI at work. Three quarters (75%) say their organisation encourages the use of AI either strongly, moderately, or lightly.
This rapid AI adoption curve sits alongside a widespread hardware refresh cycle in UK offices. Over four in five (84%) workers say their employer made changes to the office in 2025, with top shifts including:
- the introduction of AI tools (42%)
- increased IT staff and support (38%), and
- installation or upgrades of meeting room video and/or audio equipment (35%).
“The UK is at a turning point: organisations are investing heavily in AI and meeting technology, but the real value comes when those tools are intuitive, inclusive and trusted,” added Weishaupt. “Smarter meeting technology can alleviate setup challenges, sharpen audio and video, and make it easier for everyone to participate, without resorting to intrusive monitoring. In the next phase of hybrid work, the organisations that rely on ever tighter monitoring will fall behind those that focus on smarter, more connected collaboration.”
