The world of work has undergone tremendous changes over the past two years—the most important being the shift to remote work and hybrid work models. Employees have been very clear on this preference, too. Almost every recent study and survey has revealed that workers demand more flexibility in their schedules; where and when they work, they feel, should be up to them. However, these new working arrangements have surprisingly led to a measurable increase in employee stress, burnout, and exhaustion. It all comes down to control. “Hybrid requires frequent changes to daily habits,” Elora Voyles, a people scientist at TinyPulse, says. “One day a worker is in the office, and then the next they’re working from home, and there’s no consistency or rhythm to their week. When a company tells you which days to do that, all the back and forth can be exhausting.” While it seems hybrid work schedules are here to stay, leadership needs to refine its approach to give employees more control. “The arrangement goes wrong when a manager or supervisor is dictating the hybrid schedule,” Voyles says. “Better communication between employees and managers can solve a lot of this so that days in the office aren’t just a replica of what people can do at home.”