Research continues to support one certainty in the future of work: take a person’s flexibility away, and they’ll look for it elsewhere.
According to new research from the U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research, workers in Australia work an average of two days a week from home, above than the 1.5-day average across 27 other countries from mid-2021 to early 2022.
Employers in Australia were shown to prefer staff working from home just one day a week, but a full return would lead 35% of workers to quit or look for a new job.
“Working from home saves on time and money costs of commuting and it offers more agility and flexibility in working arrangements,” said Cevat Giray Aksoy, lead author of the report and an assistant professor of economics at King’s College London.
“Going forward, the remote-work policy should be developed in consultation with workers. Otherwise, firms may struggle to retain employees or attract new talents.”
Despite data consistently supporting the desire for workplace flexibility over the last few years, there remains a gap in understanding between employers and employees. Because flexible working has become a top priority for professionals, leaders that refuse to implement some form of this model will struggle in the war for talent.
