Strict return-to-office mandates are pushing workers to look for new jobs, according to research from International Workplace Group.
The company polled more than 500 in-house and agency recruiters and found that two-thirds (67%) have seen an increase in candidates looking to leave employers who demand a full working week in the office. Three-quarters have had candidates turn down new roles that did not offer hybrid working.
IWG also polled 1,000 workers who currently work five days a week in an office, and almost half (46%) said they are actively looking for a job that does not require a long daily commute.
Sixty-three per cent believed that their current employer could lose out on talent by demanding workers be present in the office full-time.
Return to office mandates
Outdoor training: the answer to return-to-office reluctance?
The most common reasons for pushing against a return to office among employees are the high cost of commuting (44%) and the time spent travelling to work (40%).
Other factors include a lack of work-life balance, with a fifth saying they experience burnout daily, partly due to long commutes.
Employers could support workers with this by offering premises closer to home, according to IWG. More than three-quarters (77%) of employees said a place to work closer to home would attract them to a future employer. Workers are four times more likely to choose an office close to home, the company found.
Mark Dixon, CEO and founder of IWG, said: “Flexible working offers benefits to businesses far beyond employee retention. The hybrid model is proven to boost workforce productivity and job satisfaction while also cutting costs significantly.
“It’s no surprise that more and more businesses continue to embrace hybrid working for the long term while giving their employees what they really want – the ability to say goodbye to the long daily commute.”
According to Stanford Professor Nicholas Bloom, companies mandating five-day office attendance could face a 35% increase in attrition. He predicts a rash of companies who enforced these policies, such as Amazon, reversing these mandates by the middle of next year.
Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance
Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday
Change management opportunities on Personnel Today
Browse more Change management jobs
