New research from Totaljobs and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) reveals a significant contrast between men and women’s preference in returning to the office, with 67% of women wanting to split their time between home and the office compared to 54% of men.
The report, reflecting the opinions of 209,000 participants in 190 countries, reveals that just 24% of British women would switch to a completely remote model if they could, in comparison to 30% of men. Similarly, whilst 16% of men report wanting to go back into the office full time, only 9% of women would, highlighting the greater emphasis women place on flexibility.
Jon Wilson, CEO of Totaljobs said: “Our research highlights the importance of having policies in place that support flexible working, particularly given the distinction between men and women’s working preferences. As we look ahead to when restrictions are eased, it is vital that employers consider the needs and preferences of different demographics within their workforce. Choices companies make now will play a crucial role in retaining talent for the long term and flexibility should be a key factor in these decisions.”
Globally, 89% of people said their preference in the future will be for a job that allows them to work from home at least occasionally. Most people prefer a hybrid model, with two or three days a week from home and the rest in the office. Enthusiasm for fully remote work is particularly low in a number of European countries, being the preference of only 7% of people in Denmark and 8% of people in Switzerland and France. In contrast, 28% of UK workers would prefer to work remotely full time, with those working in IT, digitalisation, media, and law most likely to want to work entirely remotely.
Leave a Comment