A recent survey from employment and labor law firm Littler found that 71% of U.S. employers currently operate hybrid work arrangements in 2023, with just 16% of surveyed companies requiring in-person work. However, many companies that have chosen to embrace hybrid work in the long term are pairing it with stricter in-person requirements.
Nearly half (48%) of surveyed organizations plan to reduce remote work schedules by requiring more time on-site, at least to a small extent; 39% plan to keep work schedules the same; and 12% of organizations offer more flexibility and remote work options.
Current State of Remote and Hybrid Work
Remote and hybrid work remains widely popular among employees, with 93% of surveyed employees saying flexibility was top of mind in their current job situation, according to a recent report from iCIMS. More than half (63%) of respondents said their primary consideration in accepting a position was whether it was remote, hybrid or in-person, and 42% of remote employees said they would look for other jobs if their employer refused to provide long-term remote options.
Organizations may leverage job flexibility to combat high employee turnover and gain a competitive advantage in the hiring market. But not all employees want to work remotely.
“The persistently low U.S. unemployment rate and staffing shortages across several industries may still be giving American workers more leverage to push for hybrid work arrangements,”according to law firm Littler Mendelson.
In the 2021 Pulse of the American Workforce Survey, 41% of employees said they wouldn’t want to work for a fully remote company. Survey respondents cited feelings of disconnect and pressure to be always online as primary issues with fully remote models. Many (54%) reported taking less time off, and 35% said they worked longer hours.
Poorly executed hybrid models can also frustrate or confuse employees. A recent survey by Gartner, a consulting firm, found that employees were 12% more likely to leave hybrid positions if their employers didn’t establish explicit workplace norms.
Read: 5 Hybrid Work Model Mistakes to Avoid
Employer Takeaway
Employers should continue to monitor workforce trends and employee desires when determining the proper arrangements for their organization.
