Only 3% of white-collar workers want to return to the office five days a week once the coronavirus-related restrictions are over, according to a new poll from management consultancy Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA).
AWA surveyed nearly 10,000 employees and found that the number of people seeking to work full-time in the office has dwindled drastically amid the pandemic.
Before Covid-19, some 35% of white-collar workers were happy to work five days a week, but the number dropped to a mere 3% during the pandemic.
Andrew Mawson, managing director of AWA, said: “That last two years have shown us that properly managed hybrid working is beneficial to both employers and employees.
“Research among organisations we advise globally has shown only 3% of knowledge workers want to go back to the office five days a week, with the overwhelming majority wanting to work from home at least two days.
“Talented people will choose the employers that give them flexibility and – as we’ve seen with the so-called ‘Great Resignation’ – employees will quit jobs if their bosses force them back into the office all the time.
“Employers have to realise that the genie is out of the bottle. Workers have seen that flexibility can work and bosses who are not sensitive to their employees’ needs will suffer accordingly.”
Some 86% of workers desire to work at least two days from home, preferring to go into the office mid-week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
The same trend has been observed among all the age groups of white collar employees, AWA said.
