More than half of employees from around the world would consider leaving their job post-Covid-19 pandemic if they are not given some flexibility, according to EY.
Its 2021 Work Reimagined Employee Survey revealed that nine in 10 employees want flexibility in where and when they work. Given the choice, 54% of staff would choose flexibility in when they work. By comparison, 40% want flexibility in where they work. On average, employees would want to work between two and three days remotely after the pandemic. When pandemic restrictions ease in their countries, 22% would prefer to work full time in the office; with 33% of employee wanting a shorter working week altogether. More than half (67%) believe their productivity can be accurately measured irrespective of location.
The global study surveyed more than 16,000 employees across 16 countries across multiple industries and job roles; to explore employee attitudes and experiences to work throughout the pandemic and into the “next normal”.
JOB SATISFACTION
The job roles most likely to move jobs include managers/leaders, those with technology or finance roles and caregivers. Those most likely to stay in their current roles include baby boomers; individuals with 10+ years of tenure; and those in government or education roles. Attitudes to job retention differ by age, with millennials twice as likely as baby boomers to quit. Despite the apparent willingness to move jobs for more flexible working arrangements, most employees (76%) say they are satisfied with their jobs; and almost all (93%) say they plan to stay in their current roles for the following 12 months.
“Employees’ willingness to change jobs in the current economic environment is a game-changer,” stated Liz Fealy, EY Global People Advisory Services Deputy Leader and EY Global Workforce Advisory and Solutions Leader. “The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that flexibility can work for both employees and employers; and flexible working is the new currency for attracting and retaining top talent. Employers who want to keep the best people now and in the next normal will need to put flexible working front and centre of their talent strategy.”
VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS
The survey also canvassed attitudes to existing work practices, with employee respondents broadly positive about the impact of remote working. Almost half (48%) say their organisational culture has changed and improved during the course of the pandemic; while only 31% believe it has worsened.
The survey also explored employee respondents’ views on the Covid-19 vaccine. It found that 61% want their company to make vaccination a pre-requisite for working from the office. Attitudes toward vaccinations vary between geographies; with 66% of respondents in South America agreeing that companies should require vaccination of all employees, compared with a comparative low of 52% in EMEA. These findings echoe the results of another survey, which found that the majority of US employees want their bosses to require vaccination proof from work colleagues, before they return to work, as reported.
DEMAND FOR BETTER TECHOLOGY
The prospect of increasingly widespread flexible working is leading to more demands for technology, both on-site and in the home office. Around 64% of respondents say they want better technology in the office (faster internet and videoconferencing); almost half (48%) say they want companies to upgrade at-home hardware (such as extra monitors and headsets); and almost the same proportion (47%) would like re-imbursement for high-speed internet/phone expenses.
However, despite the shift toward new ways of working and the rapid adoption of virtual meeting technology, 67% would like to travel for business moderately to extensively after the Covid-19 pandemic; an increase from 49% in the previous survey, which was conducted in 2020.
“Organisational culture has historically been built based on shared in-person experiences and it is fascinating to see that the new ways of working have improved such culture in the eyes of many employees,” noted Roselyn Feinsod, Principal, People Advisory Services of Ernst & Young LLC. “As we look toward the longer-term and organisations continue to transform their operations, employers will need to consistently re-assess conceptions of productivity and the impact on their cultures, ensuring their team’s approach is optimised for the in-person, hybrid and digital work experience.”
The UK’s CIPD is also urging employers to give staff a greater say over when they work not just where, as reported.
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