Just a third (31 per cent) of U.S. employees say their employers has asked for their input on remote and hybrid working arrangements, according to a new survey by Eagle Hill Consulting.
The survey, which polled more than 1,300 workers, found half (49 per cent) said they prefer an employer that offers remote and hybrid work flexibility, up from 43 per cent in May.
Despite a cooling job market, roughly half (47 per cent) of employees said they’d consider looking for a new job if their employer reduced remote and hybrid work flexibility, a percentage that increased among generation Z (60 per cent) and millennials (61 per cent) and decreased among baby boomers (30 per cent).
Employees cited work-life balance (43 per cent) as their No. 1 concern about increasing in-person work requirements, followed by higher costs (34 per cent), stress (34 per cent), and commute times (33 per cent).
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However, nearly two-thirds (61 per cent) said employees who frequently work onsite are more likely to be successful in their jobs. When asked about the upsides of in-person work, employees cited factors such as socialization (41 per cent), improved collaboration (30 per cent), the ability to leave work at work (29 per cent) and increased productivity (29 per cent). Workers were split on whether they’re more productive spending a full day in the workplace (53 per cent) versus spending only part of the day onsite (47 per cent).
Employees ranked integrating a new team member (84 per cent) as the No. 1 type of work that’s best accomplished in person, followed by team building (83 per cent), training (76 per cent), new project kickoffs (74 per cent), onboarding (72 per cent), performance discussions (70 per cent), giving and receiving feedback (64 per cent), meetings (64 per cent), brainstorming (62 per cent) and information technology support (57 per cent). In comparison, they said research and deep thinking (56 per cent each) were the types of work best accomplished remotely.
“It’s so important for employers to proactively solicit employee input on how they want to work,” said Melissa Jezior, president and chief executive officer of Eagle Hill Consulting, in a press release. “Teleworking is a hot-button issue right now, but workers indicate that employers aren’t asking their preferences. When employees don’t feel heard, it often breaks down trust and damages productivity.”
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