Why 64% of Employees May Quit If They Have To Return To Office

According to an annual study by the ADP Research Institute, 64% of 32,000 surveyed global employees say they would consider looking for a new job and quit if they were required to return to the office full time. This means a 64% chance of losing talent, and looming additional costs for hiring and onboarding new applicants to replace your previous employees. 

To avoid this from happening, companies need to understand where their employees are coming from and make a concrete solution to address this. In this article, we will discuss the main reasons why a lot of employees say they prefer quitting instead of giving up working from home.

The deeper significance of Remote Work

Remote work is becoming a staple and for a good reason. The flexible schedule and freedom to work wherever you want are obvious benefits, but more and more studies reveal a new prioritization among employees going far beyond salary and a few perks: an alignment with personal values, job security, well-being, and flexibility to name a few.

Remote work has many positive effects on both employees and companies. According to a study by Stanford University, remote workers have higher job satisfaction, are more productive, and have less turnover than their in-office counterparts.

The ability to work remotely allows employees to have more control over their lives and schedules. Not only can they choose their hours, but they can also choose where they want to work — whether it be a coffee shop or home office — which can lead them to be happier with their jobs overall.

There are multiple reasons why employees are generally more satisfied with this setup:

1. Time Freedom and Flexibility

The most obvious factor why people lean toward working remotely is having more control over their schedule and environment. With more flexibility and time freedom, the setup is conducive to bringing out maximum productivity, and reduces opportunities for burnout, having more time for activities that are more personal, leading to feelings of personal satisfaction and fulfillment.

2. An Increased Feeling of Autonomy.

They are not tied down by hours or office space, so if something comes up that prevents them from working at a certain time then they can simply reschedule it for another time when they're able to focus better. In addition, remote workers don't have as much pressure from coworkers because they aren't constantly surrounded by people at all times of the day.

3. Becoming More Productive…and Happy!

Many studies link productivity and happiness. Being productive leads to happiness and happiness leads to more productivity. With both going hand in hand in remote work, this provides a deeper meaning why employees are motivated to keep working towards productivity and ultimately find personal fulfillment and happiness in the process.

A study by Stanford University found that employees who worked remotely were more productive than those who worked in an office setting. They found that people who worked from home were 47% more productive than those who worked from an office.

A study by Gallup found that telecommuters were 3x more likely to be engaged at work compared to those who worked on-site. This means that they’re more productive and focused on the tasks at hand. They also have higher job satisfaction levels because they don’t have to deal with long commutes or noisy open floor plans.

Switching to a Remote-First Company 

Having read the paradigm shift toward remote working, it’s needless to say that going in this direction is necessary for staying competitive in the transforming landscape of today’s workplace. 

However, switching to becoming a remote-first company is not a miracle solution to solve all the looming attrition problems immediately. There will still be challenges that come with shifting to and operating a remote-first company such as managing teams spread across different time zones, building and keeping trust, and supporting employees who may struggle with isolation or loneliness. If you are considering switching to becoming a remote-first company and increasing your competitiveness, here are a few tips to ensure success:

1. Establish clear ways to communicate

Set clear expectations for communication and productivity throughout your company so that nobody feels left out of the loop or as though they're not doing enough work (or too much work). Because your employees might be in different time zones, it is also important to set a specific time overlapping their schedules to ensure everyone still have time to communicate with each other in real-time.

2. Equip your team with the right tools

The number one productivity killer is a distraction. Make sure your team has the necessary equipment — from headphones and noise-canceling machines to personal computers and a quiet, dedicated place to work — and set your expectations for what will be tolerated (and what won't). 

If you have remote employees in the Philippines and need help in sending them the tools and equipment they need, we offer procurement as an additional service for our EOR clients.

3. Choose the right people. 

In any successful undertaking, whether onsite or online, having clearly defined job descriptions and expectations sets the tone for success. Providing your employees the necessary information about the role will help them adequately prepare no matter how new or experienced they are. When evaluating candidates, look at their previous experience, skillset, and attitude toward communication rather than just their technical knowledge. If you are having trouble finding the right candidate, Remotify can help you hire remote employees befitting the job description.

4. Create a culture of trust

You don't need to be a large company or have a big budget to create your own remote work culture.

The key is to make sure your employees know they're trusted. You want them to feel comfortable being honest when they need help, or if they have an idea that might not be popular at first glance. 

Be transparent about your process. If you're working on something, let people know what's going on and how it will affect them. Give them time to prepare for changes, especially if they'll be affected by them.

You also want them to know that their ideas and opinions matter. You'll get better results if you solicit feedback from everyone on your team regularly — at least once per week — rather than just asking for it when you need it most (like before an important meeting).

Employer of Record Solutions

Employees being forced to go back to the office are looking to quit. This doesn't have to be the narrative for your company. Switching to becoming remote-first and maintaining a healthy work-life balance for your team is not out of reach.

With Remotify as your Employer of Record (EOR), you can become remote-first without having to go through the lengthy process of registering as a business entity in the Philippines. In a matter of days, you can start employing remotely and be legally compliant. You can say goodbye to bleeding out talent and missing out on all the benefits remote-first companies enjoy.

By providing your employees not only with a remote working environment but also an extra layer of job security, you will likely see an increase in employee attraction and retention rate. 

Our Employer of Record services includes HR admin services, payroll management, and team engagement for your remote team. This means you won’t have to worry about legal compliance, HR paperwork, contracts, payroll computation, payroll disbursement, and many other administrative complexities. To learn more about our services, check out our website or contact us at hello@remotify.ph.