The move to working from home last year at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic was swift. The move back to the office is not. After a year with lots of time to reflect, many are reluctant to return to the office lives they once led.
WeBoost, a cellular signal booster technology manufacturer, surveyed 1,200 Americans about the return to work (see the full infographic below). Most were not eager to return to their workplaces, and nearly half (47%) said that if their employer required their presence in the office full-time, they would consider leaving their job. Fifty-five percent want to work remotely at least part of the week, and 9% want to work remotely all the time.
Employers are adjusting to a new reality of employees who have embraced the notion of not having to wake up at the crack of dawn to get to work and arrive home well into the evening. A Bloomberg story this week told of a woman who quit her job after she had to commute in for a 6-minute meeting.
The past year has brought us unique stresses, to say the least. But as kids return to school and the ability to work from places like co-working spaces and cafes become reality again, offices are losing their allure. Right now, a third of those who responded to weBoost’s survey are back in the office full-time, but employers are likely going to have to keep their Zoom accounts and consider letting go of leases going forward.
