"You spend more of your waking hours with your colleagues than you do with your family. A lot of people are ready to go back to the office once it’s safe."Jan. 26, 2021, 10:03 PM UTCOnly about 1 in 10 companies expect all employees to return to their pre-pandemic work arrangements, according to a new survey.
Challenger said his conversations with human resources executives indicated a reluctance to mandate a return to the office while the virus is still circulating and parts of the country face surges. In some cases, local or state lockdowns, school and day care closings or restrictions on building capacities also limit employers' options.
Nearly a year into the pandemic, the long duration of workplace disruption has prompted some people to adapt to, and prefer, the new normal, White said."Now employees may be super-comfortable where they're at, or they may be over it and ready to be back in the office." Glassdoor's employee base was a good example, Chamberlain said. When the company surveyed its staff members, it found that 70 percent preferred a blend of working from home and from the office."Most people miss the in-person interactions, and I think that's a common sentiment," he said.
"There is a perception that if you're not in-person, you won't have the soft opportunities for influence, like the conversation over lunch with an executive. It's definitely a concern, especially for more senior-level employees," Chamberlain said.