Employees would rather quit than return to offices full-time

As Wall Street companies order employees to return to the office, the option of working from home is more popular than ever around the world, a study has found.

More than two years into the Covid-19 pandemic, many companies have eased vaccination, testing and mask rules and reopened their offices full-time.

Goldman Sachs and Jefferies Financial Group have been among the major US financial companies leading a push for staff to return to the office in recent weeks.

___________

Watch: The law firm where few people 'go to work'

But some workers do not want to go back — and that trend has been shown across countries and industries, a research paper published on Wednesday by an international team of economists has found.

The team, which included Stanford University economics professor Nicholas Bloom, had been gathering data on remote working since the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The findings were based on surveys in mid-2021 and early 2022 of people in 27 countries, skewing towards higher-income employees.

Workers say they are more productive at home, would quit their jobs or look elsewhere if they were forced back to the office and would take a pay cut to maintain the remote working option, the study found.

The shift to remote work “benefits workers”, the researchers said. “The reason is simple: most workers value the opportunity to WFH part of the week and some value it a lot," they said.

On average, those surveyed currently work about 1.5 days from home each week. Employees in countries where commutes are typically longer tend to place more value on working from home.

In India and China, the average time to commute to work is more than 90 minutes, about double the time for employees in the US.

Employees said they would take a 5 per cent pay cut, on average, to keep working from home.

Women, who are more likely to be primary caregivers for children or other family members, value the remote working option more than men, the study found.

In many countries, employees want to work from home more often than they are now. Respondents in Brazil and Singapore said they wanted to work the most days remotely, while in nations including India, staff wanted to spend more time at the office.

___________

Working from home — in pictures

The majority of workers favour a 'hybrid' model that allows them to either work from home or in the office. Getty
Many employers said the main challenge is ensuring staff can show they are productive long-term
Workers in all sectors, from government to private, are finding their bosses are more open to full or part-time working from home
Working from home has its challenges, with the need for a proper work space and a routine - include healthy eating. Getty Images
Workplace experts say some people struggle to remain productive while working from home. Getty
And for some it leads to feelings of isolation. Bloomberg
Back to back Zoom meetings may be useful at checking up on employees , but can be time consuming and unproductive. Reuters

About one third of workers in the US would quit or start looking for another job if they were told to return to the workplace five days a week, which is higher than the global average. The rate was highest in the UK.

The study found that workers do not feel they are any less productive when working from home, bolstering earlier research by academics including Mr Bloom.

The latest paper is based on online polling that is likely to be skewed towards well-educated and higher-income workers, who have better access to technology and more time to answer surveys, the researchers said.

About 90 per cent of respondents in China said they had university degrees, while about 25 per cent of the overall population does.

__________________

UAE salary guide 2022

While you're here

World's oldest man dies in Japan at 112

Demographic change is an age-old problem

Living longer will bring profound social challenges

'Nope'

%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Jordan%20Peele%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Daniel%20Kaluuya%2C%20Keke%20Palmer%2C%20Brandon%20Perea%2C%20Steven%20Yeun%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Tomorrow 2021

Tomorrow 2021: Abu Dhabi business leaders predict a stronger 2019

The UAE explained: What are the new plans for the economy and why do we need them?

Abu Dhabi's plans to liberalise the economy are progressing fast - but how are other countries planning for post-oil?

BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh650,000

The specs

Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors

Power: 480kW

Torque: 850Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)

On sale: Now

Kanye%20West

%3Cp%3EYe%20%E2%80%94%20the%20rapper%20formerly%20known%20as%20Kanye%20West%20%E2%80%94%20has%20seen%20his%20net%20worth%20fall%20to%20%24400%20million%20in%20recent%20weeks.%20That%E2%80%99s%20a%20precipitous%20drop%20from%20Bloomberg%E2%80%99s%20estimates%20of%20%246.8%20billion%20at%20the%20end%20of%202021.%3Cbr%3EYe%E2%80%99s%20wealth%20plunged%20after%20business%20partners%2C%20including%20Adidas%2C%20severed%20ties%20with%20him%20on%20the%20back%20of%20anti-Semitic%20remarks%20earlier%20this%20year.%3Cbr%3EWest%E2%80%99s%20present%20net%20worth%20derives%20from%20cash%2C%20his%20music%2C%20real%20estate%20and%20a%20stake%20in%20former%20wife%20Kim%20Kardashian%E2%80%99s%20shapewear%20firm%2C%20Skims.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Electric scooters: some rules to remember

Riders must be 14-years-old or over
Wear a protective helmet
Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
Do not drive outside designated lanes

Tesalam Aleik

Abdullah Al Ruwaished

(Rotana)

More from Rashmee Roshan Lall

US VP candidate Kamala Harris and the complexity of racial identity

Beirut blasts: What do we do with the world's ammonium nitrate?

How the pandemic is testing the solidarity of the European Union

When it comes to peace, is the EU really a great power?

While you're here

National Editorial: World trade has started to look inwards

Callum Patton: ‘Arrival of Asian century’ has eclipsed US

Robin Mills: Importance of China's energy markets clearer

How to wear a kandura

Dos

Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts

Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Concrete and Gold
Foo Fighters
RCA records

Dates for the diary

To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:

September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.

Specs%20

%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%20train%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4.0-litre%20twin-turbo%20V8%20and%20synchronous%20electric%20motor%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMax%20power%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E800hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMax%20torque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E950Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEight-speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E25.7kWh%20lithium-ion%3Cbr%3E0-100km%2Fh%3A%203.4sec%3Cbr%3E0-200km%2Fh%3A%2011.4sec%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETop%20speed%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E312km%2Fh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMax%20electric-only%20range%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2060km%20(claimed)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Q3%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh1.2m%20(estimate)%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A