94% of workers do not want to return to the office

The survey of more than 8,000 employees by staffing firm Manpower in eight countries shows that, regardless of country, there are three key needs for the new normal in terms of the world of work:

• Autonomy and flexibility in terms of presence time at the workplace and home office,
• Offerings for virtual, needs-based learning to ensure the skill mix meets the needs of the labor market; and
• the desire for a long-term work-life balance - 80% explicitly wish for this. Around half of full-time employees (48%) are convinced that this will also be possible; among part-time employees, the figure is only 40%.

Concern for health and job security

"The survey shows that the return to the office routine concerns employees on two levels: On the one hand, concern for their health and job security, and on the other, the desire for flexibility to better balance work and personal life. Companies will have to adapt to this new situation," explains Gianni Valeri, Country Manager of ManpowerGroup Switzerland. "Those that prioritize well-being and flexibility, while demonstrating how they manage social impact in difficult times, will be the most likely to attract and retain talent. That's how they ensure employees are confident, healthy and productive."

Return to the office: mixed feelings, depending on age

In uncertain times, the desire for security prevails: for 9 out of 10 employees, the most important thing is to keep their job. Nevertheless, a large proportion (94%) of employees have concerns about returning to work. Feelings vary according to age, gender and circumstances.

• Generation Z versus Millennials: Members of Generation Z are most interested in returning to their workplace for professional development and networking (51%). Millennials are the least positive in this regard (38%). They are more likely to worry about their health and that of their families and try to avoid commuting. At the same time, Millennials are least likely to give up the newfound flexibility of working from home.
• Generation X versus Baby Boomers: Generation X employees want to return to the workplace to focus and work away from household responsibilities. Baby boomers also want to return to the office, but primarily because they value the separation of work and personal life and prefer face-to-face collaboration with their colleagues (34%).
• Differences between the sexes: Nearly half of men (46%) are positive about returning to work, compared to just over one-third of women (35%). Both men and women value not having to commute and the flexibility to work when it suits among the greatest benefits of working from home.
• Working parents: Fathers list time spent with their family as one of the main benefits of the home office. Women have a more negative feeling about returning to work, with the younger the children, the greater the concern.

Trust in the employer more important than ever

When employees return to work, they want to be reassured that their employer puts their health, safety and well-being first. Trust and transparency continue to grow in importance. Feedback channels, consultation and communication are important tools to build trust in the current climate. After all, although many employees appreciate the flexibility of the home office, feelings of isolation, stress and anxiety are also part of the legacy of the new corona virus. Building trust also involves employers encouraging and enabling their employees to engage in ongoing training and development. In this way, they ensure that employees remain employable. After all, the skills employers will need in the future will be different from those of the past.

Returning to the office isn't the only thing: Five strategies for creating a better new normal

To improve the new normal in companies, five recommendations or strategies can be derived from the latest Manpower study:

1. The question arises: Why return? It became possible overnight to perform tasks we thought couldn't be done from home - balance sheet closing, payrolling, customer services and even information security. So now is a good time to ask the how question in favor of planning ahead and being fair. What do managers need to lead a team remotely? How can workers be more productive at home? Help leaders understand the needs of individuals so there are no biases in implementation.
2. Competencies are changing. Prepare for this reality: In the future, employers will need different skills than they have in the past. Encourage the entire workforce - not just those who would have trained anyway - to build their skills and keep learning. Encourage online learning and support employees to use their time for learning instead of commuting to develop the skills your company needs.
3. Flexibility and balance for the many and not just the few: Offering employees the option to work from home is not the only way to flexibly balance work and personal life: If certain functions require presence in the traditional office, offer staggered start and end times and more flexible scheduling. Try to understand what priorities employees need to balance in order to do their jobs well.
4. Physical and emotional well-being = The new health and safety at work. Feelings of isolation, stress, anxiety, and discomfort will shape us and our personal value of health, well-being, family, and community well beyond COVID-19. Take emotional well-being as seriously as physical and corporate measures, for example, taking temperatures and social distancing. In doing so, ensure that people are confident, healthy, and productive.
5. Building resilience - that of the people and the company: Companies need to build trust, listen to employees, address their needs, and help employees prioritize and recover. The initial adrenaline rush of employees needs to turn into resilience in the long run, and employers need to take charge of that. Once stress sets in and many employees are only concerned about losing their jobs, it is imperative to have strong leadership, transparent and regular communication, well-being support, and a culture that has adapted to the mixed work-home model.

Source: Manpower