Almost half of white-collar workers would refuse a recall to office: poll
The tug of war between workers and employers over how many days should be spent in the office has been raging since the lifting of pandemic lockdowns.
But it looks like white-collar professionals are ready to put their collective foot down.
Almost half of them now say they would rather look for another job than come into the office more, according to a recent poll by global recruitment agency Robert Walters Inc., which notes the issue is becoming a leverage point in the worker retention battle.
“There just isn't a one-size-fitsall option when it comes to ways of working and keeping productivity levels up across a workforce,” said its Canada managing director Martin Fox.
The report, which surveyed 2,000 “white collar” professionals from over 500 companies across Canada, found that 46 per cent would threaten to switch jobs if asked to increase their in-office workdays, while one in five of their employers want them in the office more.
The survey highlighted the ability to do hybrid-work as one of the top-three benefits professionals now look for, regardless of the field.
Two-fifths of professionals think decisions regarding hybrid and flexible working arrangements are the No. 1 issue influencing workplaces in 2024.
“Our research shows that gone are the days where employers competed for talent on salary alone,” Fox said.
He added that having a clearly defined hybrid working model can be a key leverage point for candidate attraction and retention this year, particularly where hiring budgets remain stringent.
This finding, however, would seem to clash with the results of a survey by KPMG that found 55 per cent of Canadian CEOS expect a complete return to the office by 2026.