Baby boomers, non-managers much more pro-office than Gen Z, Gen Y
About 42% of employees said they’d consider quitting if forced to return to the office five days a week, says a new report.
There’s been a struggle to find peaceful coexistence between remote workers and those that come to the office, according to a recent report from JLL’s Workforce Preferences Barometer. Opinions and tolerances for either behavior generally cut between generational lines, as well as those based on job titles.
“Opinions over the future of remote work are clearly divided between senior cohorts and their colleagues, a sign of how the complexities of the hybrid conversation continue to cause issues for those managing workforces and real estate,” according to the report, which said that working somewhere other than the office has become the norm for over half of corporate employees.
The report found that non-managers and baby boomers have a weaker appetite than Gen Y and Z for hybrid work. In fact, 37% of people over 50 years old are likely to be found in the office five days a week, as opposed to just 20% of under 35s.
Flore Pradere, Research Director in JLL’s Global Work Dynamics team, said in prepared remarks, “It’s interesting to note that the most senior age groups are split between advocates and detractors of remote work, making it a challenge for the latter to support teams in a work routine they’ve not embraced themselves.”
Women, parents and people of color are keener to embrace hybrid work, which Pradere said “creates opportunities to expand the traditional talent pool, while at the same time threatening diversity in the physical workplace.”
The report included mention of a U.K. CEO suggesting those who work from home be paid less.
Most bosses want office workers five days a week
A survey by Fiverr found that 52% of bosses want employees to head back to the office five days a week. The survey was based on 1,000 managers and executives in the U.S.
Approximately 42% of leaders said they want to see employees in person to ease communication, 41% said the office benefits career development and 33% reported workers are more productive and motivated while being watched, as reported by LinkedIn, regarding Fiverr’s survey.
On the other hand, about 42% of employees said they’d consider quitting if forced to return to the office five days a week — most believe more flexible working arrangements lead to improved work-life balance.