One in three workers will quit if made to return to office

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More than a third of workers said they would quit their jobs if they were told to come back to the office full-time, according to a new poll. Data collected by LinkedIn found nearly two-thirds of employees were considering changing their jobs in 2023 although a fifth would keep their jobs if they could continue working remotely or with more flexibility. 

Ngaire Moyes, LinkedIn’s UK country manager said: “We have adjusted to a new … way of working and of course most people don’t want to go back to how things were pre-Covid”.

She warned businesses would have difficulty retaining staff if they dropped the flexible working, which most companies moved to during the pandemic.

Despite the high demand for remote work, the number of companies offering it in the UK is slipping. In February, the number of fully remote jobs advertised fell for the tenth month in a row.

The data showed generational attitude changes as those in Generation Z — born from the late 1990s until 2010 ⁠— were least likely to apply for remote jobs.

On the other hand Generation X, born between 1966 and 1981 are the most likely to want remote work and accounted for over 25 per cent of applications for these types of roles in February.

Demand for remote working is common for women, with over half stating they have left work or thought about leaving a job because of inflexibility.

It comes as Jeremy Hunt is expected to set out a “back to work” budget today (March 15), centred around bringing people back into work.

The Chancellor has so outlined measures to increase workforce participation for over 50s as well as for the long-term sick and disabled, as well as benefits claimants.

The changes are expected to remove barriers to people getting into work as part of the Government’s efforts to tackle Britain’s economic activity issues.

Ahead of his Budget statement on Wednesday, Mr Hunt said: “Those who can work, should work because independence is always better than dependence.

“Already we’re seeing near-record levels of employment in Britain, but we need to go further to build a country that rewards work and gives everyone the chance of a better future.

“But for many people, there are barriers preventing them from moving into work – lack of skills, a disability or health condition, or having been out of the jobs market for an extended period of time.

“I want this back-to-work Budget to break down these barriers and help people find jobs that are right for them.”

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