Workplace research identifies a new worker archetype: the "empowered non‑complier"—skilled employees who accept hybrid location rules but resist mandated schedules. While the study focused on corporate settings, its findings have implications for higher education HR, where cross‑unit scheduling, grant deadlines and lab access depend on predictable staffing. The profile shows these workers often hold managerial roles, enjoy market leverage, and prioritize control over when they work. For universities, this suggests that scheduling policies for research staff, lecturers and administrators may require flexible design and retention strategies beyond simple return‑to‑campus mandates. Human‑resources leaders should consider temporal flexibility, caregiving accommodations and role redesign to retain high‑value staff while maintaining operational coverage for teaching, labs and student services.