Two thirds of global workers want to work flexibly post-COVID-19

Only a minority support the views that people would miss their co-workers, be less productive and become burned out by flexible working.
By: | July 27, 2021
Topics: Employee Experience | Hybrid Working | Mobility | News | Restructuring

The majority of workers worldwide want flexible working to be the norm, and almost a third would consider looking for another job if they were forced to go back to the office full time, reveals a survey commissioned by the World Economic Forum. 

The survey, which seeks the opinions of 12,500 workers in 29 countries, finds that only a minority support the views that people would miss their co-workers, be less productive and become burned out by flexible working. 

Just over half of employees questioned reported missing their colleagues, a third complained of burn out, while 64% said they were more productive with a flexible work schedule. Only one in three reported feeling disengaged from work when working remotely.  

A majority (66%) said that companies should allow more flexible working in the future. Those who sought more flexibility were predominantly women, parents of school age children, those with higher levels of education and income, and adults under 35. 

The proportion of workers demanding more flexible working was largely similar among workers with children under 17 of age (68%), and those with no children (63%). 

Before the pandemic, only 24% of the respondents surveyed worked mostly from home, but that has risen to 39%, with a further 22% working outside their homes but not in an office. Some 76% of employees currently working from home say that the arrangement is a result of COVID-19.