By 2026, most Australian workplaces have settled into some form of hybrid work arrangement.
The intense return-to-office debates that dominated previous years have largely eased, and flexible work is now considered standard across many industries. On paper, many organisations appear to have found balance.
But after more than 18 years working in People & Culture, I’m seeing a quieter issue emerging beneath the surface:
Return-to-office fatigue.
Not disengagement.
Not resistance to work.
Fatigue.
And interestingly, it is often showing up most strongly among high-performing employees.
Across organisations, employees are increasingly reporting:
The issue is not simply where people work.
It’s the constant switching between environments, expectations, and ways of working.
When hybrid work first became widespread, flexibility was viewed as a major wellbeing improvement.
And in many ways, it still is.
However, many organisations underestimated the psychological load created by hybrid rhythms themselves.
For many employees, a normal work week now involves:
Hybrid work reduced some stressors.
But it also introduced entirely new ones.
I recently worked with a Brisbane-based corporate services organisation that noticed rising burnout indicators among senior professionals despite maintaining strong flexibility policies.
Employees consistently described:
Many employees felt they were effectively doing “two versions” of work:
The workload itself had not necessarily increased.
But the energy required to sustain hybrid expectations had.
Forward-thinking organisations are now shifting from generic flexibility policies toward intentional hybrid work design.
One of the biggest drivers of frustration is employees commuting into the office only to spend the entire day on video calls or individual tasks.
If organisations want employees onsite, the experience should create value.
Office time should prioritise:
Not simply replicating remote work in a different location.
Many employees quietly worry:
Ambiguity creates emotional strain — particularly for ambitious employees trying to meet unspoken expectations.
Leaders should reinforce:
One common issue with hybrid work is that office days become overloaded with meetings, leaving employees completing focused work after hours.
Practical improvements include:
Sustainable productivity requires uninterrupted thinking time.
High performers often carry hidden hybrid pressure because they tend to:
Unfortunately, adaptability can mask fatigue until burnout becomes significant.
People & Culture leaders should proactively check in with high-performing employees before exhaustion becomes visible.
Use this review to assess whether hybrid work may be contributing to employee fatigue:
□ Is the purpose of office attendance clearly defined?
□ Are office days designed for meaningful collaboration?
□ Is focus time protected during in-office schedules?
□ Are leaders rewarding outcomes rather than visibility?
□ Are workload boundaries realistic and respected?
□ Is meeting overload being actively reviewed?
□ Do employees feel psychologically safe setting boundaries?
□ Are high performers being monitored for hidden burnout risks?
If several of these areas are unclear, hybrid fatigue may be developing beneath the surface.
In my experience, return-to-office fatigue is not a sign employees dislike work.
More often, it signals that the rhythm of work itself has become unsustainable.
As workplaces continue evolving across Australia, People & Culture leaders have an opportunity to move beyond reactive flexibility and intentionally design healthier hybrid environments.
Because successful hybrid work is not simply about location.
It is about creating sustainable ways for people to work, collaborate, and perform over the long term.
What aspect of hybrid work is currently creating the most fatigue in your organisation — and how are leaders responding to it?