Workers would quit job if forced back to office – Daily Business

Almost half of professional workers in Scotland would consider quitting their job if they were forced to give up hybrid working, according to a new survey.

Recruitment firm Hays found that 43% would choose this option if their employer made it compulsory for them to return to the office full-time.

The number is even higher for women. Across the UK, 58% of women are more likely to leave their position than men (42%) if they had to give up hybrid working.

The Hays survey follows recent research by Grant Thornton which showed businesses which have adopted a hybrid working approach believe it has boosted productivity and wellbeing, yet many are still keen for staff to spend more time in the office.

A particular concern is the impact that working remotely has on providing support and development of younger staff.

The Business Outlook Tracker of 607 UK mid-sized businesses found that almost three quarters (71%) are currently using a hybrid working approach. In Scotland, this figure drops to 37%.

According to the Hays research, based on a survey of more than 8,000 responses from employers and professionals across the UK, employers say over three-quarters (77%) of their workforce are currently working in a hybrid way.

For those offering hybrid working across Scotland, most employers allow staff to choose how many days they work remotely (28%), followed by 23% who require their staff to be in the workplace three days a week.

Keith Mason, director at Hays Scotland, said: “The debate over returning to the office full-time versus continuing to work in a hybrid way has been a heated topic in recent months.

“Three days in the office tends to be the norm, however, we’re seeing many larger organisations here beginning to consider increasing RTO days to four, with some full-time.

“In the face of an evolving work landscape, Scotland’s employers need to be more creative with flexible working arrangements that go beyond the conventional remote and hybrid models.

“By adopting innovative approaches, businesses can foster a more engaged and productive workforce, while employees enjoy a better work-life balance.

“The key to success lies in creativity. For example, implementing office ‘anchor days’ – when all staff are required to come into the office on a certain day – can enhance collaboration and team cohesion, providing regular opportunities for in-person interaction.

“Team rotas can ensure the operational effectiveness of the business, distributing work and responsibilities evenly.

“For many employers, making a full-time return-to-work policy compulsory may put them at risk of losing top talent, as the research illustrates how highly professionals still value the option to work remotely.

“A relatively small percentage of employers believe that productivity with home-working is less than office-based workers, so it’s important for employers to consider the issue from all sides.”

Almost nine in ten (85%) of employers say they haven’t made any changes to their hybrid working policies in the last six months, whilst 15% have asked employees to be in the workplace more often.

Looking ahead, only 6% of employers in Scotland have plans to mandate a return-to-office in the next six months. Two-thirds of employers across the UK (66%) understandably have concerns that a push to return-to-office would cause backlash from their employees

Scotland-based professionals say the top factor that would impact their decision to return to the office on a more regular basis is the cost of commuting (69%), as working in the office full-time would increase commuting costs for 83% of workers, the impact being more significant on women than men.

“Employers must look at the bigger picture before making any significant changes to their current hybrid working offering,” said Mr Mason.

“It’s crucial to consider key factors such as the cost of commuting, employee wellbeing, productivity and the many benefits that hybrid working can bring to their business, in order to keep hold of their workforce in a challenging market.”

Nearly half (45%) of employers believe productivity is the same between home workers and office workers, followed by 17% who view home workers as more productive than office workers. Only 18% say staff working from home are less productive overall than office-based workers.