To Work From Home or Not Work? That is the Question

Some employees have enjoyed working from home so much that they’d rather quit their jobs than go back to the office full-time.

It’s no surprise that a flexible work schedule, including working from home, is now a key part of an employee retention strategy for many organizations.

It’s still early to say how the post-pandemic work environment will look. Employers are contemplating what their future looks like as vaccination rates ramp up and people begin returning to pre-COVID routines. Sixty-eight percent of employers want workers in the office at least three days per week, according to the Society for Human Resource Management.

However, some employees have enjoyed working from home so much that they’d rather quit their jobs than go back to the office full-time. To work from home or not work? That is the question.

Almost 60% of employees say they would quit their job if forced to return to the office and more than a third of employees want to work from home permanently, according to a survey by Flexjobs, a job listings platform. Just 2% of employees would like to return to the office full-time.

Employees have enjoyed the flexibility of remote work as well as the cost savings — Flexjobs found that the average employee has saved $5,000 during the pandemic due to a lack of commuting and meal costs.

“The landscape of remote work has permanently changed as a result of COVID-19 and its impact will be felt in the job market and the workplace well into the foreseeable future,” Sara Sutton, founder and CEO of FlexJobs, said in a release.

After proving how successful a remote workplace can be, employees are struggling to understand why an in-person environment is necessary. Fifty-five percent of employees say they have been more productive during the pandemic and 30% say their collaboration skills have improved, Flexjobs found. In addition, 70% of workers don’t think remote work has gotten in the way of their professional success.

Employers face a challenge in creating the ideal work environment for their employees with what works for their organization. With that said, it makes sense for employers to implement hybrid work schedules, but they must be patient with the changes their workers have undergone during the past year.

The reality is that employees are no longer tied to the 9 to 5 job. They are tied to getting their work done and employers now realize that can still happen while working from home.

A good employee retention strategy plan involves strategic actions to keep employees motivated and focused so they choose to remain employed and productive for the company. With that said, it’s easy to see why working from home has become a key component of a successful employee retention strategy.Make HR management one less thing to worry about. Whether you are a startup or a growing company with 50+ employees, HRO has the tools you need so you can focus on guiding your team to success.