Return-to-office mandates hurt employee retention, productivity, survey says

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US workers who work remotely are 27 percent more likely to look forward to doing their job, according to a survey of over 4,400 employees aged 18 and older.

The survey from Great Place to Work took place in July 2023, which was “the third year of an ongoing market study of US workplaces,” according to the report entitled “Return-to-Office Mandates and the Future of Work” (PDF). Of the participants, 51 percent were female, 49 percent were male, and less than 1 percent were “non-binary or other gender,” according to Great Place to Work. In terms of roles, half were “individual contributors,” 25 percent were “frontline managers,” 20 percent were mid-level managers, and 5 percent were executives. Eighty-eight percent were full-time workers versus part-time.

The survey also found that remote workers were 23 percent more likely to say they have “a psychologically and emotionally healthy workplace,” 19 percent were more likely to cite “high levels of cooperation,” and 18 percent were more likely to say that people avoid office politics and backstabbing.