More than a million people have changed jobs because of a lack of flexibility as half of UK employees feel under pressure to return to office, according to research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
Its Flexible and hybrid working practices in 2025, which surveyed 2,050 HR professionals and 5,017 working adults, also revealed that more than half (53%) of UK employees said they felt pressure to spend more time in the workplace and 14% of employer respondents planned to introduce or increase mandated days in the office.
A total of 3% of employee respondents had left a job since January 2024 because of a lack of flexible working. This represents around 1.1 million workers in the UK, according to CIPD estimates.
While most organisations (91%) now offer some form of flexible working, the push to bring people back into the office more regularly is gaining pace, with just under three-quarters of employees (70%) agreeing that most pressure is coming from senior leaders.
Just over half (51%) of HR respondents require employees to be on-site a minimum number of days per week, most commonly three, and a further 14% mandate a certain number of office days per month.
The most common reasons cited for more time in the workplace are to improve connections and relationships, improve collaboration, boost engagement, and support onboarding and training.
Four-fifths of workers (80%) feel that flexible working has improved their quality of life, and 33% report a positive impact on their career prospects, up from 22% in 2022.
Many organisations are already taking steps to make the office experience more attractive, as 53% of those offering hybrid working have introduced incentives, such as improved workspaces, team-building activities, flexible hours, free food and drink, and commuter benefits.
Claire McCartney, policy and practice manager at the CIPD, said: “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.
“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.”
