Owl Labs has released its annual State of Hybrid Work report revealing that flexible working is more important than ever before.
The analysis of 10,000 employees across Europe showed that 37% would decline a job if it did not offer flexibility, while 69% said they would take a pay cut in exchange for flexible hours.
Pay remains a pillar of attracting and retaining top talent, but flexibility has emerged as a top priority for employees in the past few years. In fact, 36% of respondents said they would be more likely to remain at their current position if provided schedule flexibility or a four-day work week.
One of the most stark findings of the report were the 79% of workers who stated they are just as, if not more, productive when working remotely.
Ideally, employees want to spend three days in the office and two days working from home, but nearly one-third expressed fears that a forced full-office return would be in their future.
The pandemic era has presented countless lessons for employers, yet many have remained resistant to accepting the shift in power from leader to employees. Job pools are vast, and if an employee isn’t satisfied with their current positions’ offerings, they are likely to find what they need elsewhere.
