A new report from Quartz at Work shows that just 49% of workers are coming into the office five days a week.
For employees, this is a welcomed shift to a more flexible future. For executives resistant to change, it is troublesome.
The research showed that 40% of those working remotely one day per week would either quit or look for a new position if their employer required them to be back in the office full-time.
“After more than two years with a lot of working from home, it’s not very realistic for companies to expect office workers (and those who can do at least part of their job remotely) back to the office full-time,” said Jose Maria Barrero, one of the researchers of the report.
However, Barrero says there are still perks to in-office work, such as better collaborative opportunities. Because of this, hybrid work will likely become the go-to for companies trying to accommodate the best of both worlds.
Some executives have shared their dislike for remote work and even threatened to fire employees that do not show up to the office 40 hours per week. However, 43.2% of respondents said that their employer did nothing when they came into the office fewer days than asked to.
A full in-person return has become less and less necessary. Workers that can do the bulk of their tasks via a laptop are more likely to prefer having the benefit of a hybrid arrangement, only coming into the office when needed.
“For employees to return happily to the office, the boss needs a compelling answer to this question: Why must I spend 30/60/90 minutes a day on commuting, when I’ve shown I can do my job from home?” said Steven J. Davis, one of the researchers.
