The new workplace war: It’s not about WHERE you work from – It’s about WHEN

For three years since the COVID-19 pandemic got over, companies and employees battled over return-to-office (RTO) – home vs office. But in 2025, the whole point of this fight has now shifted. JLL’s Workforce Preference Barometer 2025 reveals that the real issue between companies and employees now is about time. While a hybrid work structure has become normal, with 66% of global workers okay with it (as per the report), both employers and employees are now clamouring for control over “when”.For most employees, having a work-life balance is now more important than having a high salary – 65% prioritise it (up from 59% in 2022), as per the report. While high pay lures job switches, schedule autonomy retains talent. Employees want agency over their working hours, not just desk days.The “Coffee Badging” clueEver heard of coffee badging? It’s when workers swipe in, grab coffee, then vanish to work remotely. JLL didn’t name it, but their data screams it: 57% say flexible hours boost life quality, yet only 49% have access to it.Burnout: The silent retention killer40% of office employees feel overwhelmed – thus, burnout threatens work. Among those planning to quit their jobs, 57% cite exhaustion. 42% of employees who are primary caregivers at home say that they need short-notice leave, but their employers fail to understand. And so, the standard hybrid work model fails how people want to utilise their time and achieve a better work-life balance.According to a report by Fortune, JLL surveyed 8,700 workers across 31 countries. The JLL survey concluded: beyond salary and flexibility, employees crave visibility, value, and future readiness. One-third might bolt for better development; the same number is rethinking work’s role entirely. Break this contract? They demand commuting stipends or hours as “compensation”.Gen Z’s reality checkSharing how Gen Z workers are ditching burnout and demanding more work-life balance, management guru Suzy Welch said on the Masters of Scale podcast, “Gen Z watched parents and siblings grind, then get laid off despite loyalty. They think, ‘Why sacrifice time?’”The solution: Tailored flexibilityConsidering that different employees have different needs, the solution to improved productivity and worker retention is tailored flexibility. The idea of one-size-fits-all has now died. Smart companies and employers now offer asynchronous work – extended office access, smart lighting, and bookable spaces. Ditch the rigid “work from office” rule; instead, embrace autonomy over one’s working hours. After all, offices have now become support hubs, not time prisons – and that seems to be the future of work.What are your views on this shift? Tell us in the comment section below.