A new survey of WFH (work-from-home) employees suggests that many are not yet ready to return to the office.
In fact, they may never be ready.
The survey found that 34% of WFH respondents say they would rather quit than return to a full-time office job.
Will WFH jobs become the norm?
The survey, published by staffing firm Robert Half, involved more than 1,000 adult employees of US companies, all of whom are currently working from home.
As mentioned above, more than 1 in 3 said they would look for a new job if they had to again work in the office full time.
Just under half of all the surveyed WFH employees (49%) said they would prefer a hybrid work arrangement, dividing their time between the office and another location.
Likewise, 26% said they want to remain fully remote, and 25% wanted to return to a full-time office situation.
Easing the transition: relax the hours and the dress code
The survey also reveals what employers can do to help “ease” the transition back to office life.
For example, the most important aspect that the surveyed employees mentioned is the freedom.
Above all, that means freedom to set their own office hours.
They’ve also grown increasingly fond of the highly-personalized workspace that WFH jobs allow for.
Along the same lines, they indicated that WFH provides a more distraction-free environment.
That includes, for example, not needing to make chit-chat with co-workers.
And if they do need to come back to the office, even part-time, employees said they expect some changes.
For example, they’d want their employer to cover their commuting costs, and also provide some form of childcare.
Related news:
A new study of 2,000 Americans who have been working from home has found that 76% say the shift to remote work has improved their relationships with their co-workers (i.e. the co-workers they never actually see anymore).
