But how to schedule on-site time still a challenge
Nearly six in 10 (59 per cent) workers in the U.S. prefer to work in a hybrid model – both at home and the office – and two in five (42 per cent) actually did so in February.
That’s according to a survey by Gallup, which also found that 53 per cent of employees anticipate that they will continue doing so for 2022 and beyond.
As for a fully remote approach, more than three in 10 (32 per cent) would prefer this and 39 per cent did so in February. A further 24 per cent anticipate they will do so for the rest of the year and after.
Far fewer worked fully on-site last month (19 per cent) and only nine per cent would prefer to do so. But nearly a quarter (23 per cent) anticipate they will be in the office in 2022 and beyond, finds the survey of more than 140,000 U.S. employees.
“These changes will result in an office environment like we have never seen before, nearly doubling the number of people who will be working remotely at least part of their week (compared with pre-pandemic numbers),” says Ben Wigert, director of research and strategy for workplace management at Gallup.
“Employees largely like where these changes are headed.”
Working from home brings better mental and physical health for many workers, according to another survey. And more than 70 per cent of workers in the information technology sector will quit their job if their employer forces them to head back to the office, according to a previous survey.
When should people go to work?
However, while about four in 10 employees say they want full autonomy to come and go as they wish, six in 10 want more structure.
Among those, there is even less agreement about how to coordinate in-person and remote schedules on a weekly basis, finds Gallup:
- 24 per cent: Employer requires a certain number of days on-site
- 16 per cent: Employer requires all members of my team to work on-site on specific days
- 22 per cent: My manager or team coordinates schedules so everyone is onsite together at least one day
- 38 per cent: It is entirely up to me how many days, and which specific days, I will be on-site
“Naturally, work locations and policies are not the sole determinants of the employee experience. Companies must cultivate thriving workplaces through a holistic and relentless commitment to employee engagement, wellbeing, exceptional managers and a strong company culture,” says Wigert. “Nonetheless, attracting and retaining top talent amid today's "Great Reshuffling" of the workforce will require addressing the remote-work question.”
Nearly two in five (38 per cent) Canadians say that having full flexibility at work is the best working model for their team, according to a previous report.