The pandemic changed several factors of everyday life, for better and for worse. One positive change that came of the unprecedented event was the new option for many to perform their job duties at home. By the same token, however, some weren’t exactly smitten with the idea of having to stay away from their desks and colleagues.
But as we slowly pivot toward the idea of “business as usual,” a Harvard study reveals interesting findings: many professionals don’t want to go back to the office and stay there. Instead, they want the option to keep the status quo the same even when it’s safe to return to the office.
The study, which surveyed around 1,500 professionals working remotely over the past year, found that 81 percent either don’t want to fully return to the office or would prefer a type of “hybrid” schedule going forward, where they’d have a mixture of home and office shifts. Further, 61 percent of those surveyed would like to work 2 or 3 days from home, while 27 percent want to continue working remotely full-time. Just 18 percent of participants wished to return to full-time office work.
What’s more, 1 in 3 participants found that both their performance and quality of work had improved since the prior year, and they were able to focus better while working at home. For 1 in 2 workers, collaboration with colleagues, seeking support from co-workers, and trust in overall leadership did not change.
While there are still many workers who responded that they didn’t particularly want to go back to the office, the survey trended toward an overall positive outlook for remote work and those who have been adapting to it since COVID-19 changed the way we live, work, and interact. For full results and additional insights, you can visit Harvard’s study
