Employees Would Rather Quit Than Lose Remote-Work, Survey Finds

In 2020, remote work was front and center in everyone’s minds. In 2021, the conversation has shifted and the focus is now on the merits of the hybrid working model, where employees have the flexibility to split their working time between home and the office.

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko from Pexels

Just because businesses have the option to bring everyone back to the office doesn’t mean that they have to. Almost half of all employees say they would prefer to work remotely some days of the week, according to a report by Envoy, who surveyed 1,000 full-and part-time employees over the age of 18.

To drive this point home, 61% of office workers and more than half of all young employees said they would look for another job if their employer doesn’t offer a hybrid workplace. The data is clear; businesses must adapt unless they want to lose half their workforce.

However, fewer than 10% want to be remote full-time, so don’t cancel the lease on your office space just yet.

Health and safety is still foremost in the thoughts of many employees. Of those surveyed, 66% of people say they are concerned about going back into the workplace, rising to 82% among employees of color. Sharing your return-to-work plan and communicating clearly what you are doing to keep employees safe is important in order to assuage some of their anxiety.

While the survey shows the majority of workers want a flexible work model, employers would do well to survey their workforce before implementing any changes.

As the pandemic ends, employers are at a crossroads. One path goes forward into a flexible new normal. The other returns to the known. Leaders need to consider their options, but the case for the hybrid model is difficult to ignore.