As inflation rises and businesses worry about a potential economic recession, the outlook for flexible working has looked a little more uncertain in recent months. Will “hybrid” workers be forced back into the office?
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According to data from the UK's Office for National Statistics (ONS), just over three in 10 workers now work remotely at least some days a week. Those who are able to work from home report a better work-life balance (78%), fewer distractions (53%) and being able to get more work done (53%).
Understandably, hybrid workers want to maintain these hard-won freedoms. Employers, however, may have different plans.
See also: Elon Musk to Tesla employees: Return to the office or resign
According to a recent report from A.Team and MassChallenge, 55% of tech leaders plan to ask staff to work more from the office in the next 12 months. Additionally, 53% of leaders said an economic downturn “would make it easier to require employees to return to the office.” As hiring slows and job cuts loom, some employers may well use as an opportunity to reverse—or at least limit— remote work.
Many leaders will no doubt be paying attention to how big tech companies are responding to the situation. Apple, for example, has plans to limit hiring next year to cope with the uncertain economic climate. Meta, Microsoft and Google have also announced plans to slow hiring, and all four tech giants have made moves to bring workers to the office on a more regular basis in recent months.
Asking employees to return to the office in response to economic uncertainty feels more like a return to what feels familiar than a practical way to overcome the challenges ahead. While this may help leaders regain a sense of control and run their business in the traditional way, it won’t necessarily improve productivity or engagement. ONS figures suggest that 78% of employees who work from home report a better work- life, and removing this will do employers no good.
Employees may also choose to return to the office if working from home becomes significantly more expensive.
See also: Apple executive who resigned over return-to-office policy joins Google
Whether or not employees will save money by working from the office five days a week is another question. Obviously, employees will have to weigh up what is in their best interest as commuting costs remain high, so we have commuting costs compared to the energy costs of working from home.
For their part, leaders should consider how their decisions during times of economic uncertainty affect employees.
Information source: zdnet.com
