Display screen equipment (DSE) duties apply to regular users in offices and at home. ONS hybrid-working figures describe where people work; they do not count DSE users or show whether workstations comply with the law. This page presents that working-pattern evidence alongside HSE’s guidance for employers in Great Britain.
Key facts and figures
- 28% of working adults in Great Britain hybrid worked in January–March 2025, according to ONS.
- 30% vs 24% — employees and self-employed people respectively reported hybrid working in January–March 2025.
- 41% vs 4% — degree-holders were around ten times more likely to hybrid work than those with no qualifications (Jan–Mar 2025, ONS).
- 34% vs 18% — full-time and part-time workers respectively hybrid worked in January–March 2025.
- 45% vs 8% — hybrid-working rates for people earning £50,000+ and under £20,000 respectively, January–March 2025.
- 74% of UK organisations report having hybrid working in place, and 91% offer some form of flexible working (CIPD, 2025).
- 42% of organisations surveyed had a formal hybrid-working policy (CIPD, 2025).
- 24% vs 29% — disabled and non-disabled working adults respectively hybrid worked in January–March 2025.
Checked on 15 October 2026. The ONS figures here describe working patterns in January–March 2025; CIPD figures come from its 2025 employer survey. Neither source measures the national rate of DSE assessment compliance.
Who counts as a DSE user, and how big is that population?
In Great Britain, the regulations cover employees who habitually use DSE as a significant part of their normal work. HSE describes relevant users as people using DSE daily for continuous periods of an hour or more. Assess the actual pattern of use; a job title or a home-working arrangement alone does not establish whether someone is a DSE user.
The sources on this page do not provide a national count of DSE users. Some screen users work entirely on site, while not every person working from home is a DSE user. Hybrid-working estimates give useful context for managing workstations in different locations, but cannot be converted into the number covered by the regulations.
The focus here is working patterns and the assessment duty. National musculoskeletal illness totals are not counts of DSE-caused illness, and hybrid-working rates are not compliance rates. See our DSE risk assessment guide for practical assessment steps.
How many UK workers are hybrid or home working?
ONS estimated that 28% of working adults in Great Britain hybrid worked between 8 January and 30 March 2025. The Opinions and Lifestyle Survey asked about working arrangements in the previous seven days. Hybrid working means both travelling to work and working from home during that reference period.
Access is far from evenly spread. In the same Jan–Mar 2025 data, full-time workers were nearly twice as likely to hybrid work as part-time workers (34% vs 18%), and hybrid working was concentrated among higher earners: 45% of workers earning £50,000 or more hybrid worked, against just 8% of those earning under £20,000. It also skewed by age, peaking at 36% among workers aged 30–49 and falling to 19% among those aged 16–29.
The same survey found hybrid-working rates of 30% among employees and 24% among self-employed people, and 24% among disabled versus 29% among non-disabled working adults. These are descriptive group differences; they do not establish whether a workstation is safe or explain an individual’s arrangements.
| Group | Hybrid-working rate | Data period |
|---|---|---|
| All working adults (GB) | 28% | Jan–Mar 2025 |
| Degree-holders vs no qualifications | 41% vs 4% | Jan–Mar 2025 |
| Aged 30–49 vs 16–29 | 36% vs 19% | Jan–Mar 2025 |
| Earning £50k+ vs under £20k | 45% vs 8% | Jan–Mar 2025 |
| Full-time vs part-time | 34% vs 18% | Jan–Mar 2025 |
| Employees vs self-employed | 30% vs 24% | January–March 2025 |
| Disabled vs non-disabled working adults | 24% vs 29% | January–March 2025 |
| Aged 50–69 | 24% | January–March 2025 |
All figures in this table are Opinions and Lifestyle Survey estimates for working adults in Great Britain, January–March 2025. They describe the previous seven days and have sampling uncertainty.
What share of employers actually offer hybrid working?
In CIPD’s 2025 survey, 74% of organisations reported hybrid working and 91% offered some form of flexible working. Flexible working includes arrangements such as flexible hours and is not synonymous with home working or DSE use.
The CIPD report found that 42% of organisations had a formal hybrid-working policy, 23% had an informal approach and 9% were developing a policy. An arrangement’s formality does not itself establish whether the employer has assessed and controlled workstation risks.
Are employers actually assessing home workstations?
The ONS and CIPD figures do not measure whether home workstations have been assessed. HSE allows workers to use an assessment checklist with appropriate support; an in-person home visit is not a universal legal requirement. Employers remain responsible for assessing risks and resolving identified problems.
For DSE users who work at home and at another workplace, assess the workstations they use in both settings. A self-assessment can help gather information, but it needs appropriate instruction, review and follow-up where problems are identified.
Review the assessment when relevant conditions change or there is reason to doubt its validity, for example following new equipment, a changed work pattern or reported discomfort. Take action on the findings rather than treating completion of a form as the outcome.
What does the law require employers to do?
HSE identifies four main areas: assessing workstations and reducing risks; planning breaks or changes of activity; arranging eye and eyesight tests for DSE users on request; and providing training and information. These duties apply to relevant users in offices and at home in Great Britain; Northern Ireland has separate regulations.
Employees must not be charged for measures required to protect their health and safety. If the assessment identifies necessary equipment, the employer must ensure it is provided. Eye tests must be paid for on request, and special corrective appliances must be provided where needed specifically for DSE work and normal correction is unsuitable.
Employers with five or more employees must record the significant findings of their risk assessments. For a step-by-step walk-through of how a compliant DSE workstation assessment is carried out, see our DSE risk assessment guide; for home-working specifically, our working from home risk assessment page covers the wider picture beyond the screen. The MSD case-count evidence that sits behind the whole duty is summarised on the manual-handling network’s MSD statistics page.
Does the employer have to pay for home-working equipment?
The assessment determines what equipment or adjustments are needed. Employers must provide necessary measures without charging employees; offering a contribution is insufficient if it leaves the employee paying for a required safety measure. This is not a blanket promise to buy every item an employee would prefer for a home office.
Where a chair, work surface or other part of the setup creates an identified risk, act to resolve it. An assessment should take account of the whole workstation, the task and the individual, and confirm that the agreed changes work.
Frequently asked questions
Who counts as a DSE user under UK law?
In Great Britain, the regulations cover employees who habitually use DSE as a significant part of normal work. HSE describes relevant use as daily use for continuous periods of an hour or more. The assessment duty can apply at home, in the office or both.
Do employers have to do a DSE assessment for home and hybrid workers?
Yes, where the employee is a DSE user. Assess the relevant home and workplace setups. A supported self-assessment can be appropriate; an in-person home visit is not always required. The employer must review the information and act on identified risks.
How many UK workers are hybrid or home working?
ONS estimated that 28% of working adults in Great Britain hybrid worked in January–March 2025, based on their arrangements in the previous seven days. This does not count all home workers or DSE users.
Does the employer have to pay for home-working equipment like a desk or chair?
The employer must provide measures required to protect employees’ health and safety without charging them. The assessment identifies the equipment or adjustments needed; it does not automatically require the employer to buy every preferred home-office item.
Is there an official count of DSE users in the UK?
The sources used here do not provide a national DSE-user count. Hybrid-working figures are useful context but are not a substitute: many DSE users work entirely on site, and some home workers are not DSE users.
When is the DSE and hybrid-working data next updated?
This page was checked on 15 October 2026. ONS and CIPD publish separate working-pattern analyses; their data periods are stated beside the figures. HSE guidance provides the current assessment requirements.
Related guides
- Risk Assessment Statistics UK: Compliance Facts & Data
- Work-Related Stress Statistics UK: HSE Facts & Data
- HSE Enforcement Statistics UK: Fines, Prosecutions & Notices
- DSE risk assessment: workstation duties for office, home and hybrid workers
- Working from home risk assessment: the duty for home and hybrid workers
- How often should a risk assessment be reviewed?
Sources & references
- ONS — Who has access to hybrid working in Great Britain? January–March 2025
- CIPD — Flexible and hybrid working practices in 2025
- HSE — Working safely with display screen equipment
- HSE — Display screen equipment at home
- Display Screen Equipment Regulations 1992
The DSE user population keeps growing, and every home and hybrid workstation carries the same assessment duty as an office desk. Learn the HSE’s method with RoSPA-approved risk assessment training.
Explore Risk Assessment Training →
Mark writes about workplace health & safety, risk assessment and accredited online training for Risk Assessment Training, part of Online CPD Academy.