So your boss wants you in the office more? If this makes you anxious, you’re not alone.
Return-to-work tensions aren’t simply resistance to change. They reflect deeper questions about how different people work best and what modern organisations actually need to succeed.
After COVID, return-to-office rates stabilised by around June 2023, without much movement since.
In Australia, 36 per cent of Australians were working from home regularly in August 2024 and 37 per cent in 2023. This is a dramatic shift from pre-pandemic levels when only 5 per cent of Australians worked from home regularly.
In Europe and North America, around 30 per cent of employees now work hybrid schedules, with 8 per cent fully remote.
Yet tensions persist. Many employers are pushing harder to get workers back in person, while unions are pushing back. The Australian Services Union recently requested presumed work-from-home arrangements and 26 weeks’ notice before employees have to return to the office.
Meanwhile, the Victorian government plans to introduce laws giving employees the legal right to work from home two days a week.
Workers prefer hybrid models
Research on remote and hybrid work models reveals both benefits and challenges. Hybrid work can increase productivity, improve work-life balance and reduce attrition rates.
A 2024 randomised controlled trial found hybrid work arrangements led to 33 per cent lower quit rates. There were particular benefits for women, non-managers and employees with long commutes.
Research tracking individual productivity found fully remote work was associated with a 10 per cent drop in productivity. However, hybrid working appeared to “have no impact on productivity”.
Employees generally prefer hybrid models, with many willing to accept pay cuts for remote work options.
It’s good to spend some time in the office There are benefits in spending time with our colleagues face-to-face. We learn more naturally in social settings. We gain knowledge informally through observation, spontaneous questions and overheard conversations. The social connections that form more readily in person contribute significantly to employee retention and satisfaction.
Collaboration and innovation often flows better face-to-face too.
Some things are difficult to replicate virtually. The spontaneity of brainstorming, the nuanced communication possible through body language, and the collective energy of problem-solving are hard to achieve online. Being able to work from home improves inclusion
Parents, carers and people with disabilities benefit significantly from the flexibility to manage responsibilities while maintaining productivity.
Recent research shows flexible working practices are important for neurodivergent employees. This includes those with autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Neurodivergent workers make up a significant percentage of the Australian workforce: 12 per cent in 2024. And in the United States, 20 per cent of adults have a learning or attention issue.
For neurodivergent employees, working at home gives much-needed sensory control and routine flexibility. This includes adjusting lighting to reduce overwhelm, controlling noise levels and taking breaks when needed. It also allows avoiding the social exhaustion that constant office interactions can create.
Loneliness also a workplace issue
Loneliness is a significant concern among both remote and on-site workers.
A survey of 7,500 American workers found over half feel lonely. Some 36 per cent of lonely workers were more likely to seek a job somewhere else, compared with 20 per cent of workers who were not lonely. Additionally, 42 per cent of lonely workers reported being disengaged. This is twice as many as among surveyed workers who were not lonely.
Earlier research from 2024 found one in five workers globally experienced loneliness a lot in the previous day. (The Conversation)
