As hybrid policies become the norm, some workers are falling through the cracks.
Six years after the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic, workplaces around the world are still settling into the new normal of workplace arrangements. While some companies continue to operate virtually, most employers now expect at least some level of office attendance.
Flex/hybrid workplaces continue to be popular, and some firms are even adopting a four-day work week.
But what should you do with YOUR workforce? While only you can answer that, one thing is certain: It is not likely that everyone in your workplace shares the same idea.
Enter the JLL Workforce Preference Barometer. This and other new studies on the efficacy of return-to-office vs. remote work vs. flex/hybrid provide corporate executives with helpful guidance. Among the key findings from the recent JLL study are these:
- Employees have broadly accepted office attendance policies, but that sentiment does not always lead to compliance.
- The desire for work-life balance is stronger than ever, outweighing even salary.
- Personal well-being concerns, particularly burnout, pose a persistent threat to organizational outcomes and employee retention.
The bottom line is that there remains a need for employers to create more supportive work environments, even if that means relaxing some of the return-to-office requirements and providing more flexibility.
“In many global organizations, hybrid working has become a permanent feature,” JLL states. “Work-life balance expectations are evolving for both employees and their employers, continually shaping a new world of work.”
The JLL Workforce Preference Barometer 2025 surveyed 8,700 office workers across 31 countries in organizations with more than 1,000 staff in sectors including finance, technology, manufacturing and public services. One of the biggest takeaways is that not all office attendance policies are created equal.
While hybrid office policies are now the norm — with three days per week of office attendance now accepted as the hybrid standard — respondents show varying degrees of compliance: Fifty percent say that office presence supports better teamwork; 43% prefer to work from the office; and 35% view hybrid policies as fairer to all employees. A telling statistic is that 40% believe they will be less productive if they are unable to choose where they work.
40% of workers believe
they will be less productive
if they are unable to choose
where they work.
Source: JLL Workforce Preference Barometer 2025
The Flex Index reported recently that the average U.S. company now requires corporate workers to report to the office 2.87 days per week. However, 34% of firms require full-time office attendance, while 24% set no weekly minimum. Still rarer are workplaces that require just one day in office per week (2%) or those that mandate four days per week (3%).
Lenny Beaudoin, executive managing director of CBRE’s Global Workplace Design & Occupancy
Policy Enforcement is Growing
Lenny Beaudoin, executive managing director of CBRE’s Global Workplace Design & Occupancy practice, says his firm learned a lot from its recent Global Occupier Survey.
“The most interesting insight is the degree to which organizations have gotten to their expectations, with 72% of firms feeling like they have achieved their goal,” he says, adding that “51% state that their policy is to mandate at least three days per week in the office.”
When JPMorganChase elected to require full-time in-office attendance, “it had a significant impact on the office workplace,” says Beaudoin. “We have since seen a pivot by companies to getting back to normal in the office. That includes the degree to which organizations are now enforcing office attendance.”
He notes that 85% of firms now communicate their attendance policy, 69% measure it and 37% take enforcement measures to ensure compliance. “That is the return to normal,” Beaudoin says. “Enforcement is being seen around more of these in-office policies.”
CBRE found other effects of the new normal:
- The worker attrition rate hovers around 10% for all employers regardless of their attendance policies.
- In large cities like New York and Chicago, employers shifted from lower-quality buildings to higher-quality spaces. “There remains a demand for top-of-the-line development,” says Beaudoin. “If you want your employees back in the office, you must create an environment where employees want to work.”
- A movement of firms toward relocations rather than lease renewals is occurring. “They are investing in creating a better experience for their employees,” says Beaudoin. “Vacancy rates are now significantly higher in lower-quality assets.”
- There is a direct correlation between leader attendance and team attendance. “What has changed is the C-suite,” says Beaudoin. “They have leaned into understanding how their workforce performs in each location; and they are investing in workplace experiences that promote an engaged and productive workforce.”
Gen Z Getting Left Behind
One group of workers who may not buy in as much is Gen Z, says Tim Currie, author of “Swift Trust: Mastering Relationships in the Remote Work Revolution.” When a recent Gallup poll found that only 23% of Gen Z workers prefer fully remote roles, compared to 35% of older generations, Currie observed that “remote work for younger workers is problematic. In spite of their comfort with technology, my research proved conclusively that they also want culture, identity and belonging. Zoom and Slack are a poor substitute for face-to-face experiences that build real trust and connection.”
“A pizza party will not be enough to justify a one-hour commute,” he says. “We need to re-establish office norms and social norms so that people, especially Gen Z, can be mentored.”
– Tim Currie, author of “Swift Trust: Mastering Relationships in the Remote Work Revolution”
He adds that “younger employees are trying to build careers without the moments that build trust. If companies don’t fix this, they’re going to lose their future leaders before they even find their footing.”
Currie, who lives in Chicago but serves as CEO of a small AI firm based in Mexico, told me that there are several reasons for this: “The work becomes more transactional when you are remote,” he says. “An older and more established employee does not need as much guidance and mentorship. If you’re an entry-level or younger employee, you’re still building experience and your network. If you work remotely most of the time, you end up being given things that you’re expected to do with limited experience. When the workplace interaction is all via Zoom, the work becomes very transactional and therefore less fulfilling.”
Currie says Microsoft studied this phenomenon during the pandemic and recognized its challenges. “They found that when people worked remotely, their span of interaction with others in the organization got very narrow and their networks atrophied,” he says. “If you’re just stacking Zoom calls all day, you’re not learning how the organization operates. Published research shows that your success in your workplace relationships directly correlates to how successful you feel in your work and in your career.”
Worse, he says, when you begin to compartmentalize your workplace, you’re opening a doorway to AI replacement. “Gen Z sees this and says, ‘I might as well build my own AI company or become an influencer. Why do I want to be a remote worker for a global company that is not offering me any enriching experience?’ ”
Currie says it’s time for companies to rebuild trust and authenticity. “A pizza party will not be enough to justify a one-hour commute,” he says. “We need to re-establish office norms and social norms so that people, especially Gen Z, can be mentored. Everybody does not need to be hyper-local, but the in-office experience needs to be more valuable than the hassle of the commute. Your team needs to be present, and your chain of command needs to show up. If you do it right, you can create opportunities for positive mentoring.”
What’s at stake is the reputation of the company as a desirable place to work, says Currie.
“Organizational trust is something that is generally developed over time,” he says. “It is based on what you observe in peers and leaders. Remember: Gen Z is the anxious generation, and there is a loneliness epidemic. They need to learn through mentorship and observation. They need to see role models.”
Currie advises employers to:
- “Understand that Gen Z needs meaningful connection.”
- “Put Gen Z workers on multiple teams. Show them how things get delivered to customers.”
- “Make sure that each has a mentor to guide them through the corporate experience.”
- “Take a longer view in how you onboard talent. Partner with universities.”
- “Design for a world that is going to be fluid.”
- “Understand that Gen Z needs meaningful connection.”
