• Employees have broadly accepted office attendance policies, yet positive sentiment does not always translate into compliance. Employees expect employers to acknowledge their personal circumstances and to meet their high expectations for office environments.

• The desire for work-life balance is stronger than ever, outweighing salary. Flexibility needs are shifting towards management of time over place. While most employees recognize the benefits of being in the office, all aspire to have some autonomy over their hours and how they integrate work and life. 

• Wellbeing concerns, particularly burnout, pose a persistent threat to organizational outcomes and employee retention, raising the need for employers to create more supportive work environments.

In many global organizations, hybrid working has become a permanent feature. Work-life balance expectations are evolving for both employees and their employers, continually shaping a new world of work. JLL’s Workforce Preference Barometer 2025 surveyed 8,700 office workers across 31 countries, employed in organizations with more than 1,000 staff in sectors including finance, technology, manufacturing and public services.

Our analysis offers insights into what employees expect from their work environment and the impact of structured hybrid policies, shifting flexibility needs and resulting retention challenges. These findings reveal key areas for employers to address at a time when cost pressures demand highly strategic investments in the workplace.

Again, regional disparities are stark when it comes to the perception of workplace experience, with the Middle East and the U.S. reporting the highest satisfaction (77%), while Europe reports the lowest (51%), particularly in France and Germany – this may be linked to higher expectations in certain localities but also to the quality of the office buildings in each region.² Although managers, caregivers and younger workers report higher satisfaction, they also expect much more from their offices, increasing the pressure on employers to deliver workplaces that are more responsive to workforce needs.

Distinctive workplaces and AI-enabled collaboration

With attitudes to work evolving, offices must offer a commute-worthy alternative to home-working environments. High-quality fit-outs, personalized experiences, a range of amenities and food services, and opportunities for networking and leadership connection define the next-gen workplace sought by employees. Such offices may also integrate more sophisticated collaboration ecosystems, augmented by AI agents and intuitive audio capabilities, to enable richer real-time interactions across distributed teams in and out of the office.