"Hyper-hybrid" workers find alternate workplace

Hyper-hybrid workers are finding both good and bad with their new weekly working patterns, according to a new report by JLL.

The most empowered set of office workers, they are also dealing with the highest mental wellbeing challenges, JLL said, such as the continued need to adapt and the potential to feel isolated. 

“As a result, ‘hyper-hybrid’ workers feel more stressed and need sustained employer support to recreate healthy routines and a sense of belonging with their team,” Flore Pradère, Work Dynamics Research Director at JLL, said in the post.

In response, these workers are finding third places to work—somewhere other than their home or company office—choosing to log-in at cafés, hotel lounges, and coworking spaces, according to JLL’s latest Workplace Preferences Barometer.

The relief can come from this because it doesn’t require working “alone.”

“External venues offer small teams the opportunity to come together and collaborate in a very professional environment,” Pradere said. “This type of place also favors connections with people from outside the organization. The change of scenery in itself can bring benefits, both for groups and individuals seeking inspiration.”

Some 36% of employees work in such “third places” at least once a week, up 8% from a year ago, JLL’s report found. One-third said they are considering this work arrangement in the future.

This trend not only impacts office usage patterns but also opens up opportunities for new offerings by these retail establishments. For instance, before the pandemic some hotels had begun offering lobby space as a place to work and network for workers tired of their office’s four walls. 

There are shades of the mental health issues these offering monetized—and described by JLL—in a study released Wednesday by hybrid office software company Eden, which found that full-time remote work is the least popular option among tech workers, though the vast majority (95%) say it’s important to have the ability to work remotely at least occasionally. 

When asked about their preferred way of working, hybrid work was the most popular option among tech workers: nearly half (48%) of respondents said they prefer hybrid work, compared to 34% who selected full-time in-office and 18% who said full-time remote.

Gen Z tech workers’ No. 1 work preference is working full-time in the office, while the millennials (50%) and Gen X (47%) of tech prefer hybrid work arrangements. 42% of baby boomers cited full-time remote work as their preferred arrangement.

JLL’s Pradère added, “The need for support for employees—from managerial support to interaction with colleagues—transcends locations and workplace options. There’s an expectation to be supported by employers in new workstyles.”