A recent survey from app development company Zapier has found that workers largely favor working from home rather than in a traditional office.
Around 74% of “knowledge workers” said that they would quit their jobs for the opportunity to work from home, and 26% said they had left a job that did not offer remote working in favor of one that did. Additionally, 42% ranked working from home to be a better perk than free lunch.
Employees cited saving money, more family time, the ability to care for pets and elderly loved ones, environmental sustainability and improved mental health as the reasons for wanting to work from home.
Offering remote work seems beneficial for both the employer and employee. Research has found that people who work remotely are more productive as they have more time thanks to no long commutes or scheduling conflicts.
Still, the same study found that remote workers tend to use fewer sick days, which is more indicative of them fearing of calling out sick since they are technically “out of the office,” rather than actually being healthier.
Despite this, 71% of respondents said that they believe traditional offices will be obsolete by 2030.