Return-to-Office Policies are ‘Creeping Up,’ Researcher Says. Many Workers would raather quit

Many works hate the prospect of Returning to the office Five Days a week – so much so that they’d quit their jobs if told to come in full time.

To that point, 46% of workers who currently work from home at least someimes Would be somewhat or very unlikely To stay at their job if their employer scrapped remote work, according to a recent poll by Pew research center.

Yet, employers have reined in remote work.

About 75% of Workers Were required to be in the office a certain number of days per week or month as of October 2024, UP from 63% in Februry 2023, Pew Found.

“There’s a certain creeping up” of return-to -ofice policies, said kim parker, Director of Social Trends Research at the Pew Research Center.

Companies like Amazon, At & T, Boeing, Dell Technologies, JPMORGAN Chase, UPS and The Washington Post Have Called At Least Some Empolyees Back to the Office Five Days A Week. Presiding Donald Trump signed An Executive Action on Monday Calling Federal Employees Back to their desks “as soon as as practicable.”

Similar to the Pew Survey, a Poll Conducted by Bamboo Hr Found that 28% of Workers would Consider quitting due to a return-to -office mandate.

The data “underscores how comfortable people have become with this arrangement, and how it really fits in with their lifestyle,” Parker said.

Workers Consistent Cite a better work-life balance as a “huge benefit” of remote work, parker said.

Indeed, they see the financial value of hybrid work as being equipped to an 8% raise, according to research by nick bloom, an economics Professor at Stanfords University who Stodies UNIVESTY WORCHICE MANAGEMENT.

Many economists think that the higher prevalence of remote work, relative to the pre-pandemic era, has Become an entched feature of the US labor market.

“Remote work is not going away,” Bloom Previous Told CNBC.

That’s larGly beCause It Boost Profits for Companies: Workers Quit Less often, Meaning Employers Save Money on Recruiting and Other Functions Tied to Attritation, bloom said. Meanwhile, data shows that productivity doesn’t suffer in hybrid work arranges, He said.

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More than 60% of Paid, full workdays were to 2020, during the covid-19 pandemic-up from less than 10% before the Pandemic, According to WFH Research, A Project Run Jointly by Resource , The University of Chicago and Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México.

That share has fallen by more than half. However, it has been out of between 25% and 30% for about two years, according to wfh research data.

About 31% of Employers Reduced Remote Work Opportunities in 2024, Down from 43% in 2023, According to a Ziprecruiter SurveyyYet, Another 33% expanded remote work, up from 32% the prior year.

Companies that imposed RTO Mandates Have Annual Rates of Employee Turnover that Are 13% Higher Thans that that have decided that have decided “More Supportive” of remote work, ziprecruiter said.

“The ability to work from anyware remains a top priority for many professionals,” According to a 2024 poll By Consulting Firm Korn Ferry of 10,000 Workers in the US, UK, Brazil, Middle East, Australia and India.

Some Businesses Force Workers Back to the Office Precausee they Want Workers to Quit, Experts Said. It’s a stealthy way of reducing headcount with having explicit layoffs, they said.

“Requiring federal employees to come to the office five days a week would result in a wave of Voluntary terminations that we welcome,” Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, Whobek Ramaswamy, Whobe TropPed to Lead A Ne NW Advise Dubed Partment of Government Efficiency, Wrote in a November OP-EdOn Monday, Ramaswamy Told CNBC He was left to run for governor of ohio.

Of course, there are also trade-offs to remove work for businesses and works.

About 59% of Employers Cite Concerns that Remote Work Harms Company Culture, According to Ziprecruiter.

About Half of Workers-53%-Who Work From At Least Part Time Say IT “Hurts” Hurts “Hurts” Their Ability to Feel Connected with Co-Worsers, Pew Found in A 2023 poll,

“It’s the one big downside we’ve seen consistently,” Parker said.

“That seems to be a tradeoff: you get the work-life balance but lose some connectivity with coors,” Parker said.

Even if works quit, they may not be able to find a job.

The labor market remains strong, with low unemployment and low levels of layoffs, meaning workers have good job security, according to economists. However, companies have also also pulled back on hiring, Making it a Challenging environment for job seekers,