Against this backdrop, many people are no longer renegotiating where they work, but when they work. They adjust their schedules, tackle key tasks earlier, focus their work during their most productive hours, and step away when their energy declines. This has given rise to "microshifting"—small adjustments to the workday that help people regain control of their schedules without fundamentally changing the way they work. It's not a revolution, but it is a practical response to increasingly longer workdays.
This shift builds on a mindset that has taken hold since 2020: designing work around life, rather than life around work. Yet not everyone has equal access to that flexibility. Hybrid work models remain concentrated in more senior roles, highlighting that autonomy is still, in many organizations, a benefit earned over time.
Meanwhile, the data is beginning to stabilize. Across many markets, hybrid work has plateaued, while remote work has remained at similar levels for several years. The question of where people work appears to have reached a point of equilibrium.
That brings us to another question—one that is particularly relevant when rethinking the workplace: if people come to the office only when it adds value, what are we offering that makes them want to be there?
Today, the office is no longer competing solely with the home. It is competing for people's time. If coming into the office requires commuting, time, and attention, the workplace must deliver value in return—whether through greater focus, meaningful interaction, genuine collaboration, or experiences that make the trip worthwhile.
As the question of where people work fades from the center of the conversation, when they work takes its place. This shift is redefining the role of the workplace—not as an obligation, but as a choice. The real question is no longer just where we work, but what makes being there worth it.
At Cushman & Wakefield, we help organizations rethink and redesign their workplaces, recognizing that today, value lies not only in the space itself, but also in the experience it creates and the way it helps people make better use of their time.
