Longer term, most workers will return to the office
California Economic Forecast September 1, 2021 by Mark Schniepp
Most hybrid work plans call for employees to be in the office two to three days a week, yet this is unlikely to be practical for those who moved more than 50 miles away. Employers with headquarters and offices in major cities will need to decide if they will allow employees who relocated to work remotely on a permanent basis.3 Some will and have anticipated that when hiring employees living in other states. Most however will not. 1 In Jaunary 2021 a majority of US workers surveyed by the US Gallup Poll said they worked remotely all or part of the time during the pandemic. https://news.gallup.com/poll/329501/majority-workers-continue-punch-virtually.aspx The majority of workers in the survey also responded that they prefer to work remotely once all restrictions are lifted. 2 Surveys report that between 40 and 58 percent of employees would quit if required to return to the office. See https://www.businessinsider.com/quit-job-flexible-remote-working-from-home-return-to-office-2021-6, and https://www.fi-magazine.com/364584/survey-finds-58-of-people-working-remotely-would-quit-their-jobs-if-required-to-return-to-office 3 From the Gallup poll conducted in late January 2021, just 23 percent of workers who always or sometimes work remotely desired to continue to work remote longer term. There does appear to be an acknowledgement that the same remote work opportunity enabled today may not persist indefinitely.
