Faced with a full-time return to office (RTO) mandate, some employees might shell out for a season ticket, expand their office-casual wardrobe, and otherwise accept their fate — but half of professionals surveyed would consider simply quitting.
That's according to a survey about the ongoing debate over RTO mandates and hybrid working, with recruitment firm Hays revealing that 48% respondents in the UK would consider quitting rather than heading back to the office.
That figure tracked higher for women, at 58%, than men at 42%, according to Hays.
Some major tech firms have already faced employee backlash as a result of RTO mandates. A survey of Amazon staff affected by its office attendances last year suggested nearly half of staff planned to quit ahead of the RTO deadline.
Around two-thirds of respondents also said they planned to leave the firm within a year to pursue opportunities at companies whose policies align with their preferences.
A key factor in the pushback against RTO mandates is the cost associated with commuting, according to Hays. Nearly three-quarters (73%) of workers specifically highlight commute costs as a major reason they favored working from home.
The study found that working in the office full-time would increase costs for 88% of workers. Similarly, the impact of these costs on general finances would also be more significant for women (59%) than men (41%).
Pam Lindsay-Dunn, chief operating officer of Hays UK and Ireland, said the research highlights that enterprises are at “serious risk” of losing top talent as a result of strict RTO mandates.
“Our research clearly shows how highly professionals still value the option to work from home," she said.
Previous research into the topic of RTO mandates from the University of Pittsburgh warned of a potential ‘brain drain’ at enterprises pursuing these policies. Researchers found companies taking a strict stance on the matter typically lose their top talent as a result, with female employees and top-performers often among the first to jump ship.
Lindsay-Dunn added that employers should address potential employee concerns and other vital considerations prior to making a decision on the topic of mandatory office attendance.
"Before making any significant changes to their current working model, employers must look at the bigger picture and consider key factors such as the cost of commuting, work-life balance, employee wellbeing, productivity and the host of benefits that hybrid working can bring to their business, in order to retain talent in a tough market.”
Hybrid popularity
While big tech firms continue to push for a full return to the office, Hays’ research showed workers still prefer a hybrid work setup.
More than three-quarters (77%) of professionals surveyed work in a hybrid way, with a quarter of firms polled saying their staff came in three days a week, working from home the remaining two — a figure that has stayed the same from Hays' survey last year.
A further 22% of firms said they let workers choose their own working pattern.
Employees need not start drafting a letter of resignation, as hybrid working looks set to continue. While a fifth of companies polled said they have asked staff to come into the office more often, only 8% said they plan to introduce a full RTO mandate in the coming months.
Similarly, half of companies said they saw no difference in productivity between home workers and office staff, with 19% saying those at home were more productive and 14% saying those in the office performed better.
Remote work productivity has been a contentious topic in recent years, with critics of the practice suggesting staff typically perform better when collaborating in-person with colleagues.
Research from the University of Melbourne last year showed companies with flexible working did better on the stock market in the longer term.
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