Companies that demand the return of IT professionals to the office are facing difficulties. Those with more relaxed policies find that flexibility makes their recruitment easier. "I'll find somewhere else to work."
After months of flexibility and work from home, returning to work seems difficult for many tech companies (including giants like Google, Apple or Microsoft). Many companies test office work for part of the week, trying to get as much office work as possible. Employees who fled the city centers, closer to nature during the Covid-19 pandemic, now face difficult choices: to go back, spend a lot of time in traffic, or look for a more flexible job.
Two-thirds of the workforce said they would find a new job if they needed to return to the office full-time, according to a survey conducted by the ADP Research Institute on more than 32,000 employees in 17 countries. Of those who left their jobs in 2021, 35% said they wanted to move to another area, according to the Pew Research Center.
COVID-19 has triggered a reassessment of what job security means for employees, with many expecting more from employers. Employees value their quality of life and personal life more than ever. They are looking for distance working options, are increasingly interested in a company's ethics and values, and are ready to move elsewhere if their employers do not align with their new needs.
Seven out of 10 employees (71%) say they have considered a major career change this year. Feelings of flexibility and work-life balance are not limited to parents (74%) who would like to adjust their work schedule to be more flexible, followed closely by 68% of non-parents.
Wage equity is important: three-quarters (76%) would consider looking for a new job if they found that their employer was disadvantaged by either sex or did not pursue a policy of diversity and inclusion.
Salary is a priority, but it's not all that matters. Salaries are still a top priority for employees, although half of them would prefer a pay cut for work-life balance. Many believe that the importance given to the desired salary and flexibility could help reduce the unpaid overtime that some employees feel compelled to provide.
Stress increases with an impact on performance and quality. While employees are surprisingly optimistic about job satisfaction and the outlook for the next five years, stress at work has reached critical levels amid a trend ahead of the pandemic. The impact of stress on employees, both professionally and personally, is profound, and employers are looking for ways to prevent and mitigate the burnout phenomenon felt by their teams.
Remote work and hybrid work are becoming better regulated in many countries and companies. This shift from the traditional office-based model with a fixed schedule to a flexible distance program has long-term implications for the labor market. As companies - and employees - re-evaluate their approach to the workforce, it is clear that having a flexible approach is essential, as there are advantages and disadvantages exclusively for both, whether they are completely remote or full-time in the office. Two-thirds (64%) of the employees involved in the study would consider looking for a new job if they were asked to return to the office full-time and perhaps not surprisingly, the youngest (18-24 years old) are the most reluctant (71%) to return to work full time.
When Airbnb announced that employees could work from anywhere without receiving a pay cut, visits increased on the company's career page.
But there are signs that the balance of power may change. Netflix Inc., Lyft Inc., and other big names in technology have shown disappointing quarterly results - a sign that times may be worse and labor demand is falling. Companies, including Meta, say they are slowing down employment, while others have even announced layoffs.
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