COMP NEWS – A recent survey from the Future Forum has indicated that employee satisfaction has reached record lows since data had begun to be collected in June 2020.

According to the findings, 34% of knowledge workers stated that they are now working in person five days a week, which is the largest number seen since Future Forum began collecting data in June of 2020.  

As a result, employee sentiment has reached near-record lows, with work-related stress and anxiety worsening by 28% and work-life balance by 17% compared to the previous quarter.  

The common denominator? The dissatisfaction of current flexible offerings in terms of where and when employees work. 

“Leaders need to move away from dictating days in the office and rigid 9-to-5 schedules. Trusting teams with flexibility to work where and when works best for them will lead to better business results and happier employees.” said Brian Elliott, Executive Leader of the Future Forum. “Trusting your teams with the flexibility to work where and when works best for them will lead to better business results and happier employees.”  

Based on the survey results, it appears that individuals who work in the office full-time are facing dramatic declines in employee satisfaction, stemming from a reduction in work-life balance.

Full-time office workers saw a 2x steep decline in their work-life balance compared to hybrid and remote workers, as well as a 1.6x steep decline in their workplace satisfaction. 

In addition, workers indicated a strong preference for flex work as opposed to being in the office full-time.

Ushering workers back into the office five days a week is leading to a predictably lower level of employee contentment, especially considering 55% of respondents said they would rather work flexibly throughout the week. 

Even more, knowledge workers that do not have access to flexible policies were 20% more likely to seek out a new position over the next year.  

To read more about the survey, click here.

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