A recent global study by WFH Research reveals that British workers are the most resistant to the idea of returning to the office. Deep dive into the detail in an article published by The Daily Mail or skip straight to the highlights below:
– Of the 33,000 people surveyed across 22 countries, nearly a quarter (23%) of British workers said they would prefer to quit or find a new job rather than go back to the office five days a week. That puts Britain above every other nation in the survey, including the US (14.8%), Russia (15.7%) and China (8%).
– In terms of Europe, Hungry (20%) and the Netherlands (19.6%) were the hottest on Britain’s heels. But France (11.9%), Germany (14.8%), Italy (11.9%) and the worldwide average of 14.58% trailed far behind.
– In a recent LinkedIn survey, women were found to be leading the so-called ‘flexidus’ of staff demanding a mixture of remote and in-office working. 52% said they have left or have considered leaving their jobs due to a lack of flexibility.
– Britons currently work an average of two days a week from home. The survey showed this to be roughly in line with their wishes.
The findings must make for worrying reading for Boris Johnson. Alongside a growing number of British entrepreneurs, Johnson and his ministers are campaigning for a clampdown on remote working. While the government names the need to boost productivity and revive the UK’s town and city centres as the driving force behind the push, the business community goes a large step further. Phones 4U founder, John Caudwell, recently warned of how a continued work-from-home culture could be catastrophic for the British economy.
Only time will tell whether British employees or employers will win this power struggle. Your trusted team at ABL will be sure to keep you posted on developments. In the meantime, if you’d like any help with the recruitment element of your HR strategy, please get in touch. With a vast pool of talented, active job seekers on our books, and over 30 years’ experience in the field, we’ve got all your needs covered.
