There’s no doubt that, unless you were considered an essential worker, you spent much of your days working from home during 2020. Yet, even with vaccine availability and better safety measures in place, many offices are still opting for remote work as we’re nearing the end of 2021. In fact, according to the most recent Gallup Panel survey on employment trends, 45% of full-time employees in the U.S. worked from home either fully (25%) or partially (20%). Further, two-thirds of white-collar workers are working from home all the time (41%) or part of the time (26%), as reported in the same survey conducted in September of this year. It should be noted that this survey does not include exclusively self-employed workers. When I read these statistics, one of my first thoughts was, how do companies maintain their culture when so many employees, especially company leaders, are only in-office on a limited basis?
According to another Gallup workforce study conducted earlier this Spring that polled 9,000+ American workers, the culture question seems to be a non-factor. Two-thirds of those polled believe long-term remote work will have no effect or a positive effect on company culture. Why is this?
An overwhelming majority (91%) of U.S. workers working semi- or fully-remote are hopeful that the work-from-home option continues even after the pandemic ends. This means that companies offering flexible work options become attractive employers to job candidates. Not only does it allow for a more favorable work-life balance, but having the choice to work on-site or from home lets workers choose where they’d be more productive and have less distractions. It would also cut down on commuting time, wear and tear on a vehicle, gas money, and pollution.
Working at home has its upsides and downsides for each individual, but it’s safe to say, allowing employees this hybrid option makes the most sense for employee morale, productivity, and satisfaction. Are you currently working from home? Do you anticipate that changing as we head into a new year?
Source:
Saad, L. and Wigert, B. (2021, October 13). “Remote work persisting and trending permanent.” Gallup. <news.gallup.com/poll/355907/remote-work-persisting-trending-permanent.aspx>