Fri, 03 December 2021 | pandemic workplace
Despite the enthusiasm by many corporate executives to get their workers back in the office, a new survey from The Conference Board finds that COVID concerns are not what's keeping staff away. In fact, they are working from home because of the greater work-life balance it purportedly offers. Indeed, workers place such a premium on this balance, that a quarter of workers who changed jobs did so for the ability to work from anywhere. What's more, Baby Boomers who left their jobs for this flexibility did so at twice the rate of Millennials.
Additional research from RingCentral, Inc. found that while the majority of American workers (80%) have the freedom to work from anywhere as 2021 draws to a close, only a small percentage (12%) believe that this same freedom will carry forward into the new year. The survey also revealed that if forced back into the office, 1 out of 3 Americans will leave their job. In fact, 52% of workers said they’d rather wash their dishes and 40% said they’d rather clean their toilet at home than commute to the office, clearly highlighting their lack of desire to be back in the office.
The RingCentral research uncovered some key attitudinal differences between business decision-makers (managers) and workers. Many of these differences revolve around the fact that decision-makers feel more isolated and ineffective than workers when working from home. Almost half (46%) of business decision makers felt isolated and lonely while working from home compared to only 34% of workers, with almost half (47%) of that group believing it is impacting their ability to do their job.
Potential job leavers appear ready to back up their survey responses with actions. Labor Department data cited by Inc.com shows that many are leaving their jobs to become entrepreneurs, with 500,000 more unincorporated, self-employed workers than there were at the start of the pandemic. Further, the website states that the percentage of workers in the U.S. who consider themselves self-employed rose from 5.4 percent in February 2020, just before the pandemic, to 5.9 percent now.
While many firms, especially in the financial services industry, appear committed to getting back to in-office work, the ongoing challenges of the pandemic will likely slow the back-to-the-office movement. Future trends may be more evident in a few weeks after year-end bonuses are paid and 2022 pay increases are discussed.