As we have emerged from the economic constrictions of the pandemic, life has resumed for most businesses and employees. Although we seem to have moved on, we may have retained some virtual mindset changes to the modes and methods by which people prefer to work. A recent poll conducted by Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA), a management consultancy and training group, indicated that only 3% of white-collar workers have a desire to return to a five-day work week at their physical office space – a potential signal that employees intend to quit if they are forced back into full-time at the office.
Approximately 10,000 individuals from around the world were surveyed by the AWA across multiple fields including technology, energy, finance, etc. The AWA reported that 86% of those employees want to maintain their work from home status for at least two days a week. If the findings of this survey can be extrapolated to the white-collar working populations of the world, businesses might have to accommodate, or risk lose valuable talent to competition that allows split work weeks.
“Employers have to realize that the genie is out of the bottle,” Andrew Mawson, managing director of AWA, said in a statement. “Workers have seen that flexibility can work and bosses who are not sensitive to their employees’ needs will suffer accordingly.” Many financial institutions have signaled that they are gearing up to provide flexible or hybrid work schedules, with some companies in FinTech like Revolut Ltd. and Eigen Technologies Ltd. already preparing to provide options for entirely full-time remote work. Apple is asking its employees to return at least one day a week to the office beginning April 11 and going to three days a week beginning May 23.
Only time will tell whether these remote work business models can yield the same or greater productivity of the traditional in-person workspace. Looking to the future, we may find ourselves drifting further apart from our co-workers, but potentially closer to our families and neighbors. Whatever the case, let us hope it is for our own betterment that we adopt and integrate these pandemic-era ideas.
See you on the road,
Lisa
LMA Newsletter of 3-28-22
