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/ Wednesday, December 29, 2021
Who Wants to Go Back to the Office? Reports state that 30% of employees working from home wants to stay remote
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Zoe Landi Fontana, The Weekly Journal
n-person, hybrid, or fully remote. These words weren’t thrown around in employment negotiations a few years back, but now they’re selling points to attract much needed employees. As the year is drawing to a close – despite the aggressive Omicron variant setting back numerous re-openings and events– employers are assessing how best to recruit and maintain the workforce during the transition to post-pandemic life.
The Work-From-Home Situation
According to research by Gallup, there are currently 125 million full-time jobs in the US, of which about 50% can reportedly be worked from home. Of those, 30% of people occupying these positions would prefer to never go into the office, 60% would prefer a “hybrid” style of work, and 10% said they would like to be in the office for five full days per week. Gallup concluded that an estimated 37% of desks will be empty in offices in 2022. Remote work is an attractive notion, especially to those with families. Working from home enables parents to avoid costly child-care
Meanwhile, the office gives coworkers expenses while giving them more time with family. For people who’ve worked from home for opportunities to socialize naturally –at their desks, passing in the hallway, grabbing lunch or the past couple of years, being asked to return coffee together. These interactions, going beyond to the office might be a dealbreaker. scheduled meetings, encourage creativity through The benefits of remote work are better workcollaboration and informal chats. life balance, flexibility, and increased wellbeing, When working remotely, company culture according to a 2021 McKinsey & Company report. can fade away, and with it, the shared The same report listed “loss of community experience that makes working in a company and connection to colleagues” and “reduced valuable. Physical proximity collaboration for individuals and strengthens the sense of unity teams” as fears regarding this among employees, in turn style of work. strengthening the values of the On-site work also threatens larger organization. increased chances of getting sick and worse work-life balance. To 30% bring people back to the office, The Bottom Line of employees in the leaders must be able to explain Communication is key. Almost US would prefer to why in-person work is nonhalf of respondents (47%) never go into the negotiable and worth the risk. agreed to the statement “The
In fact,
What Will Coax Workers Back Into The Office?
office, 60% would prefer a “hybrid” style of work, and 10% said they would like to be in the office for five full days per week. Source: Gallup
Leaders must establish procedures and protocols for cleaning, post-travel quarantines, sick leave policies, and how group-interaction will take place. After health concerns are dealt with, they must clearly define the benefits of being together in the same place. According to a Gallup poll, Americans feel happiest with six to seven hours a day of socializing. Videoconferencing has been a great stand-in during the pandemic, but it has left workers feeling disconnected and exhausted.
lack of clear vision or plan for post-pandemic work is causing me concern or anxiety,” in a survey taken by McKinley & Company in April 2021. Regardless of whether the workplace stays remote, returns to in-person, or adopts a hybrid policy, leaders need to set out a clear plan –and then communicate it to current and prospective employees. Anxiety decreases work performance, job satisfaction, and worsens interpersonal relationships, the cost of which could be as high as $1 trillion per year, the consulting firm reported.
