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Updated: June 20, 2022 Ask ACE

Ask ACE: Why are employees pushing back against returning to the office?

By Lisa Whited, Workplace Transformation Facilitation

Q: Some 47% of employees who have been working from home would rather quit than come back full- time. Why are employees pushing back against returning to the office?

ACE Advises: Money is no longer the only compensation employees expect from employers. They proved during COVID that they can be productive working remotely. Now they want flexibility.

Employees have experienced greater productivity while working from home. Before March 2020, primary complaints about the office were noise, constant interruptions and lack of quiet places to focus.

Working from home gave people the quiet, productive spaces they craved — without having to commute. Of course, not all home working situations are equal — these benefits could not be experienced fully by those who were home schooling kids or living with roommates.

About 40% of jobs can be accomplished remotely at least some of the time, in more personalized spaces, free from interruption and noise. According to Leesman, an organization that measures workspace performance globally, employees rank their productivity while working at home at 83%. They ranked their productivity working in an office at 64%.

Most employees indicate they want to spend some time in the shared office — socializing, collaborating, and connecting with colleagues. Some 94% of employees say they would like to work from home one to four days a week.

Remote work can provide significant overhead savings for businesses. A global insurance company recently determined that it could save 82% of its real estate expense by embracing hybrid work and downsizing its real estate portfolio. As commercial buildings contribute 39% of carbon emissions to the environment, using less space can also be good for the planet.

For more on this topic, see “The Role of the Office After COVID” at consultexpertise.com/blog/10776045.

Lisa Whited is founder and chief transformation officer of Portland-based Workplace Transformation Facilitation.

About ACE

The Association for Consulting Expertise (ACE) is a nonprofit association of independent consultants who value “Success through Collaboration.” The public is welcome to attend its regular meetings to share best practices and engage with industry experts. For more information go to www.consultexpertise.com.

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