Many employees frustrated in 'commuting to the office, only to engage in solitary work or online meetings,' says Australian researcher
Being able to work from home is highly valuable to Australian employees so if employers want people back in the office more often, they need to better justify demands for in-office attendance, according to Australian researchers.
The team from the University of Melbourne and Western Sydney University interviewed more than 60 employees and industry executives from a variety of sectors for three-year research project.
Organisations reintroducing onsite work are advised to offer "greater opportunities for in-office collaboration" to help justify their office-return policies.
The advice came from Dr. Elizabeth Straughan, who co-authored the study that indicated organisations are jeopardising employee job satisfaction due to unclear justifications for in-office work requirements.
"Many employees who we spoke to expressed their frustration commuting to the office only to engage in solitary work or online meetings, as these tasks can just as easily be done at home," Straughan said in a University of Melbourne article.
"We believe organisations need to offer greater opportunities for in-office collaboration and team building to rationalise demands for physical presence."
Her advice comes as various organisations in Australia and across the world, such as Amazon and Tabcorp, have begun mandating employees to come back on-site fully.
But the research found that mandating full in-office attendance is a "one-size-fits-all" approach that is destined to fail due to employees not thriving in the same environment.
According to the research, employees are more likely to thrive while working remotely.
"Our research shows tailoring work arrangements to accommodate for remote work can lead to a more supportive and inclusive work culture and enhance overall staff satisfaction and performance," Straughan said.
Professor David Bissell, who led the research, said employees with the flexibility to work location are also "more innovative in their day-to-day job."
"By embracing diverse working environments such as home offices, libraries or cafés, companies can significantly boost employee productivity and improve staff wellbeing," Bissell said.
