As companies across the country back-peddle on their return to work plans, employees are left in limbo wondering what will happen next. And “The Great Wait” is costing employers millions of dollars, fueling “The Great Resignation,” which some say is here to stay.
‘The Great Resignation’
A recent study of 3,300 office workers across 10 countries by JLL found that employees are becoming increasingly disenchanted by their employers. Key findings include:
- The ‘Great Resignation’ is growing, as one-third of workers feel disenchanted by their employer.
- A sizeable portion of employees are reaching a break point: 36% feel a lack of energy and motivation, and 33% do not consider their company a great place to work anymore.
- With a quarter of workers feeling too exhausted by work and family life to self-manage their health and well-being, the majority of employees (75%) now expect their workplace to be a space where they can be their true selves and share their difficulties and concerns.
- While work-from-home has created opportunities for flexibility, new social risks are also being exposed, where the majority of employees feel disconnected from their workplace community.
- One-third of the workforce feels able to maintain strong working and personal relationships with their colleagues while working remotely.
- Relaxation spaces, healthy food services and outdoor spaces top of the list for what employees expect today, but only 17%, 19% and 25% respectively have access to them.
- Beyond providing easier access to new well-being amenities, employers also have an opportunity to play a key role in endorsing healthy working habits, as one-third of employees today feel held back by a lack of time and energy to adopt healthy routines.
‘The Great Wait’
To further get a temperature check on worker perspectives, Monster conducted a poll focusing on return to work and vaccines. Results show that employees are feeling uneasy with their work’s ever-changing plans and simply want to know that their employer is keeping their needs in mind.
Workers Feel Exhausted And Unheard
- Although nearly two-thirds (64%) of employees agree that their employer has been transparent about planning the return to work, more than half (54%) feel that their employer is not listening and putting the needs of employees first with plans. When asked how they’re feeling about their employer’s plans,41% are exhausted by the constant changes to the plans, and another 32% responded that their employer hasn’t even shared a return to work plan.
- This may explain why 82% are considering changing jobs to find an employer with a return to work plan that fits their needs.
Employers, Listen To Your Workers
Regarding the return to work overall, the majority of employees areanxious (40%) and confused (28%).Employees are split on their favored work model, with more than a third (34%)preferring fully in-person, just under a third (29%)looking for a fully remote environment, and 25% are interested in a hybrid approach with fewer days in-person.
- When asked when they would feel comfortable returning to the workplace, 37% said they’re looking to return as soon as possible, while 16% would be more comfortable returning after the start of 2022. A surprising 16% would prefer to never return to the workplace.
“Our latest poll results reflect one of the biggest takeaways from the past 18 months: Employers must be transparent about policy changes and the impact on employee health, safety, and, to some extent, career growth, said Scott Gutz, CEO of Monster Worldwide. “We must be comfortable talking about flexibility, safety and security with our employees and listening to their concerns. At Monster, we developed clear communication channels and regularly update our global teams on our return-to-work, health and flex work policies. Open communication and transparency are the cornerstones to Monster’s approach to a remote-first future of work.”