Nearly two-thirds of workers say they’re willing to take a pay cut to work remotely
According to FlexJobs‘ Remote Work & RTO Pulse Report with over 8,400 U.S. respondents, more than half (56%) of workers know someone who has quit or plans to quit because of return-to-office mandates. Nearly two-thirds (63%) said they’re willing to take a pay cut in exchange for the option to work remotely, with 17% specifying they’d accept a pay cut of up to 20%. The significance of remote work was further highlighted, as the majority of workers (63%) listed remote work as the most important factor in a job, surpassing salary (61%), work-life boundaries (54%), and even having a good boss (48%).
“Lack of remote work options is a significant reason why people leave their jobs,” said Keith Spencer, Career Expert at FlexJobs. “Remote work is incredibly valued by today’s workforce, and with more companies adopting these types of policies, employees are increasingly open to exploring new career opportunities with the flexibility and remote work options they need.”
FlexJobs’ survey, which ran from August 2 to August 17, 2023, explored professionals’ attitudes and experiences in response to RTO mandates and broader changes in the current work landscape. Summarized findings below.
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Reactions to RTO Plans
- More than half (56%) of respondents know someone who has either already quit or is contemplating quitting their jobs due to return-to-office mandates.
- Of these respondents, over one-third (35%) said they know more than one person who has quit or plans to quit because of RTO requirements.
- Nearly two-thirds (63%) said they’re willing to take a pay cut to work remotely, with 17% saying they’d accept a pay cut of up to 20%, and 10% willing to take more than a 20% pay cut.
Remote Work Priorities & Perceptions
- Given the demand for remote work, more than half (57%) said that they think finding a remote job is more challenging today compared to this time last year. Less than one-quarter (24%) think it is easier to find a remote job today compared to last year.
- 63% of respondents said that “having remote work” was most important to them in a job, ahead of salary (61%), having a flexible schedule (55%), work-life boundaries (54%), and having a good boss (48%). The breakdown:
— Having remote work – 63%
— Salary – 61%
— Having a flexible schedule – 55%
— Work-life boundaries – 54%
— Having a good boss – 48%
— Meaningful work – 48%
— Healthy company culture – 44%
— Health insurance – 42%
— Having good colleagues – 37%
— Amount of paid vacation time and sick time – 36%
— 401(k) retirement benefits – 35%
— Career advancement opportunities – 32%
- When asked about their ideal work arrangement going forward, 51% of respondents favored a fully remote work setup, slightly outpacing the 46% who said they prefer a hybrid arrangement. Notably, only three percent stated they want to be in the office full time.
- A resounding 93% of respondents agreed remote work positively impacts employees’ mental health. Similarly, 90% of workers said remote work also has a positive impact on employees’ physical health.
Work-From-Home Environments
- For meeting preferences, only 18% of workers said they prefer an in-person meeting. More than half (54%) would rather the meeting be held online.
- However when participating in an online meeting, fewer than one-third (27%) of respondents want their cameras turned on during the call.
- 57% of people said they have a dedicated home office where they work from home, and 37% rely on designated spaces in their living room, kitchen, or bedroom to perform their job remotely.
- In addition to having a home office or workspace, 70% of people said they do not share this space with anyone, such as a spouse, partner, or roommate.
- 77% believe that they are more productive working remotely than in a traditional office, while 11% do not notice a difference and 12% think they are more unproductive at home.
For more information, please visit https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/losing-talent-to-return-to-office-mandates-insights-from-the-flexjobs-survey/ or contact Shanna Briggs at sbriggs@flexjobs.com.
*FlexJobs created the survey, which was promoted to general audiences and its subscribers/members primarily through social media and newsletters. FlexJobs used a multiple choice and multi-select question format via SurveyMonkey’s online platform. The survey ran from August 2, 2023, to August 17, 2023.
Demographic breakdown of the 8,487 respondents: Gender: women (65%), men (33%) prefer not to identify/self-describe (2%); Generation: Gen Z (12%), millennial/Gen Y (40%), Gen X (31%), baby boomer (16%), silent generation (1%); Education: less than a high school degree (2%), high school degree or equivalent (11%), some college but no degree (21%), associate’s degree (11%), bachelor’s degree (34%), graduate degree (21%); Career level: entry-level (11%), experienced (51%), manager (22%), senior level manager (11%), executive (5%); 43 percent had children 18 or younger living at home with them.
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