More than a million UK workers have walked away from their jobs in the past year due to a lack of flexibility, new research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) reveals.
The findings point to a growing disconnect between what employees want and what employers expect. While hybrid working remains popular, more than half of workers (53%) say they’re feeling pressure to spend more time on-site — pressure most commonly coming from senior leadership.
Yet demand for flexibility is as strong as ever. Some 3% of employees surveyed said they had left their roles since January 2024 due to rigid working arrangements. Extrapolated nationally, that’s around 1.1 million people.
The professional body for HR and people development is urging employers to rethink their approach. It warns that simply mandating office returns could undermine employee wellbeing and make it harder to recruit and retain talent at a time when many organisations are struggling with hard-to-fill roles and skill shortages.
Disconnection in the Workplace
The CIPD’s Flexible and hybrid working practices in 2025 report, based on a survey of 2,000 employers and 5,000 employees, shows that most companies (91%) now offer some form of flexible working. But one in seven employers plan to increase the number of required office days, even as four in five workers (80%) say flexible working has improved their quality of life.
More than half of organisations (51%) already require a set number of days on-site each week — usually three — and a further 14% stipulate a number of days per month. Employers say the goal is to improve collaboration, engagement, onboarding and workplace relationships.
But younger workers appear to be voting with their feet. The report suggests they are more likely to have changed jobs in the past year due to inflexible conditions, pointing to a generational divide in workplace expectations.
Striking the Right Balance
Claire McCartney, senior policy adviser at the CIPD, said the tension between flexibility and office mandates doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game.
“There’s a clear mismatch between what some employers are pushing for and what many employees value. Hybrid working has benefits for employee satisfaction and attracting and retaining talent, often supporting those with health conditions, disabilities or caring responsibilities to remain and thrive in work,” she said.
“However, it can also bring challenges for employers, particularly around organisation culture, connection to organisation purpose and the ability of managers to lead their teams effectively.
“But it doesn’t have to be an either/or situation. This may mean designating in-office days for team collaboration, while preserving flexibility for focused work at home. There’s no one-size-fits-all and for many organisations, it’s about finding the right balance that supports people’s performance and wellbeing, while meeting the needs of the business.”
Rethinking the Office Experience
Many companies are responding to shifting expectations by reimagining the office experience. Among those offering hybrid working, more than half (53%) have introduced incentives such as upgraded workspaces, team-building events, commuter benefits, flexible hours and even free food.
McCartney welcomed these efforts but cautioned against top-down decisions that don’t consider staff views.
“It’s good to see employers thinking about how they can make their workplace experience more valuable for their people. But decisions around hybrid working should be based on evidence — not assumptions or pressure from the top. Consulting employees and measuring the impact on performance, satisfaction and retention will lead to more sustainable outcomes for everyone,” she said.
The report comes just over a year after UK employees gained the legal right to request flexible working from day one in a new role. While the law provides a framework, the CIPD’s findings suggest workplace culture and leadership attitudes still play a decisive role in shaping how — and where — people work.