Flexible work schedules has become increasingly popular among employees even as the challenges of the pandemic have diminished, according to the Future of Work Life study from Ericsson Consumer and Industry Lab.

The growing sentiment among employees across all markets and industries is a desire for a more flexible work schedule with 52% considering flexible work hours or locations a key requirement for work, while 25% say the flexibility is their top priority when they start looking for a new job.

Research shows that there seems to be a paradigm shift on emerging views of employee expectations and demands. Doing work rather than ‘going to work’ is seen as the central concept, the study notes, as employees focus more on values, growth and what they gain from work.

Employees see the future of physical workspaces changing as they demand more hybrid work schedules.

According to the research, 43% believe there will no office spaces at all while 41% believe that offices and commercial spaces will be repurposed and modified due to the normalisation of remote work.

At present, employees on average work 60% of the time in office spaces and 40% out of the office, while 36% still struggle to find a work life balance. Approximately 33% worry that work stress levels may rise in the future due to the hybrid work environment.

A common theme among employees is their willingness to switch jobs to find that work-life balance. Survey results show that flexible working hours at 42% and office locations at 31% are among the top reasons to quit their jobs or decline employment unless given flexible work options.