New Research from Eagle Hill Consulting Reveals Half of U.S. Workers Prefer Employers Offering Remote Work Flexibility
- 70% of Workers Report Not Being Consulted on Work Arrangement Flexibility
- Most Employees Believe Remote Work Enhances Corporate Culture
According to a new nationwide poll by Eagle Hill Consulting, 50% of U.S. workers prefer employers that offer flexibility with remote and hybrid work. Furthermore, the same percentage of workers (50%) would consider seeking a new job if their employer reduced remote and hybrid work options, with the highest concern reported among Gen Z workers (61%).
Just 30% of workers report that their employer has sought their input on preferred remote and hybrid work flexibility, while 67% believe remote work enhances corporate culture. Workers’ main concerns about increased in-person work include work-life balance (48%), commute time (41%), rising costs (36%), stress (33%), and overall happiness (26%).
This research comes amid a trend where many employers are increasing in-person work, while other organizations are using flexible work arrangements to attract and retain talent in a competitive labor market.
Explore the research infographic, “Employees Weigh In On Workplace Flexibility: 2024,” for detailed findings.
“Employers should proceed cautiously when altering their remote and hybrid work policies,” advised Melissa Jezior, President and CEO of Eagle Hill Consulting. “Although in-person work has its advantages, reducing the flexibility that many employees value could negatively impact retention, morale, and company culture. Employers must recognize that while workers appreciate the benefits of in-person work, they also believe some tasks are better suited for remote settings and are opposed to strict mandates.”
“One troubling finding is that the vast majority of workers say they haven’t been asked about their preferences regarding remote work. Gauging worker sentiment is a necessary step employers should take to make informed policy decisions. While employee preferences don’t drive all business decisions, not understanding worker views is never a good approach,” Jezior said.
The nationwide survey of U.S. workers also finds that employees see the value of in-person work. A large share of workers (56 percent) say those who work more in the office than remotely are more likely to be successful in their jobs. Eighty-five percent of workers say team building is managed better in person, as is integrating new team members (84 percent), training and managing teams (78 percent), onboarding (74 percent), kicking off a new project (76 percent), getting a project back on track (74 percent), performance discussions (68 percent), meetings (65 percent), giving and receiving feedback (63 percent), brainstorming (62 percent), and IT support (54 percent).
The research also finds:
- Employees say the benefits of returning to the workplace would include increased socialization (46 percent), the ability to leave work at work (35 percent), improved collaboration (33 percent), and more productivity (32 percent).
- Workers are split on employers tracking their attendance to ensure compliance with company remote work policies. Fifty-one percent want their attendance tracked, while 49 percent don’t.
- Thirty-four percent of workers are willing to sacrifice a dedicated workspace in exchange for more remote work. Only 17 percent would sacrifice pay for increased remote work.
- Seventy-one percent of employees say someone they work with directly makes their remote work flexibility decisions.
The findings are based upon the 2024 Eagle Hill Consulting Workplace Flexibility Survey conducted by Ipsos most recently from June 4-7, 2024. The survey included 1,453 respondents from a random sample of employees across the U.S. Respondents were polled about their views about working remotely.
