In a week that has seen CEOs relent on return to office mandates, the publication of a new study into the movement should quieten critics and embolden employees.
The study shows that yes, as we’ve suspected all along, remote workers are generally happier in their jobs than their office counterparts. Not only that, but they’re more engaged with co-workers, despite the physical distance between them.
However, not every company will agree with the findings, with the likes of Dell, and Musk-owned companies, continuing to come down hard on the remote worker.
Remote Work Survey Results Speak For Themselves
Return-to-Office (RTO) mandates are having a negative impact on employees’ job satisfaction, according to new research published this week. “Return-to-Office Mandates and the Future of Work,” a study conducted by Great Place to Work, features research from July 2023.
The company surveyed 4,400 employees aged 18 and over. Of the respondents, 51% were female, 49% were male, and less than 1% were ‘non-binary or other gender.’ The findings paint a stark picture of company mandates – and testify to the importance of letting employees choose their preferred work location.
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Comparing results from ‘typical workplaces’ with certified ‘great workplaces,’ the company found that 7 out of 10 US employees are told where to work by their employer. While it’s not a silver bullet solution, remote workers are generally happier than their onsite counterparts – with remote employees 27% more likely to look forward to doing their job.
The research also suggests that fully remote workers have a more generous outlook on their colleagues. Great Place to Work observes that they’re more likely to ‘give people extra effort, are more willing to cooperate and collaborate.’
Flexibility is Key to Employee Well-Being
The report observes that individual staff who can choose their work location – remote, hybrid, or onsite – are three times more likely to want to stay at their company. Employees whose location is decided by their team are two times more likely to want to stay.
At the same time, company mandates can have a damaging impact on morale. Workers whose remote policy is dictated by their employer tend to have a ‘worse perception of their workplace overall and poorer relationships with their managers.’ This can put a company in the spotlight – for all the wrong reasons.
It’s also worth remembering that this isn’t the first positive indictment of remote working. There have been many, many studies over the years, the vast majority of which have proved positive, and shown that remote workers put in more hours, and also could well live longer.
Remote Workers Still Face Uncertain Future
In spite of an overwhelming amount of evidence, remote work continues to be debated. Offices in the US have stabilized at about 50% occupancy. As reported earlier, 7 out of 10 employees have no say in where they work – remote or onsite.
The remote work debate has created a battleground for those companies that are refusing to yield to employee wishes. One of the most visible examples of this over the last year has been Dell, which has continued to escalate its return to office policy to such an extent that employees are now being tracked, and those who don’t come in risk missing out on promotion.
This month’s study from Great Place to Work is yet another piece of the puzzle that proves remote working, works. Our own study from last year showed exactly the same thing.
If you’re looking to spend less time on the commute and more on the couch, check out our remote jobs for August 2024 guide. And if you want to stick with your current job, don’t forget our guide on how to ask to work from home.
