Although some companies have requested their employees return to the office full-time, going back to pre-pandemic normalcy is beyond the realm of possibility.
Rather than return to their long daily commutes, workers are seeking increased flexibility and understanding from their employers. Without it, they are more than willing to find new positions.
This is why CEOs that aren’t forcing a return to the office will be better off in the new normal.
Fears about the Great Resignation have been growing as the workforce faces labor shortages due to the pandemic’s impact. In fact, Microsoft’s Work Trend Index survey showed that 41% of workers have considered quitting their jobs this year as their workplace priorities shift.
“Forcing people to go back to the office communicates to employees that their company doesn’t value what the best work environment may be for [them],” said Dr. LaNail R. Plummer, CEO of Onyx Therapy Group. “Some [people] are experiencing sadness about missing out on dinner with their families or the freedom to take a walk in the middle of the day.”
Microsoft found that 73% of workers wanted some form of flexible or remote work options after the pandemic, and forward-thinking leaders are preparing for this shift in various ways.
One such way is adopting a flexible office closer to workers’ home, so they benefit from an in-person work environment without having to make lengthy commutes every day.
Not only is this preferential for workers seeking flexibility, it actively helps businesses with their aims of increasing productivity, decreasing expenditures, and supporting environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals.
