The office lights are on, but plenty of seats stay empty. Employees have heard the policy, nodded at talking points, and then organized their week around what helps them live well. That quiet opt-out shows up in badge data and calendar behavior, and it’s reshaping how leaders must think about performance, loyalty, and space. The gap between formal rules and lived practice isn’t a blip. It’s the new baseline.

Fresh evidence from the JLL Workforce Preference Barometer 2025 shows why. Structured hybrid is now standard: 66% of office workers report clear expectations for onsite days, and 72% say they view those rules positively.

Yet compliance doesn’t match sentiment. JLL’s regional picture ranges from 74% in the U.S. to 85% in Europe, including those who exceed the target.

Look closer at attendance under specific rules, and the fragmentation becomes obvious. Where companies require one to two office days, 7% go in less than required. Under three to four days, 18% attend fewer days than mandated. With full-time RTO, 17% come in less than the target.

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