Work-from-home war – employees are winning

While businesses are fighting to get employees back in the office, it is becoming pretty established that work-from-home and remote work is here to stay – and bosses are starting to give ground in the tug-of-war.

This is one of the key findings in the latest Talent Trends report for 2024 from professional recruitment firm Michael Page, which found that employers are increasingly admitting that flexible work and work-from-home arrangements are core to what employees want from their jobs.

The report, which is based on a global survey of 50,000 respondents in 37 countries, including South Africa, gauges how the employment landscape has shifted so far this year, and what is driving talent trends in professional industries.

A worrying trend that has emerged is that employees are becoming increasingly agitated and restless in their positions, showing a willingness to jump ship.

The survey showed that more than half of the respondents (53%) will be actively job-seeking in the next 6 months.

One of the biggest drivers behind this is salary: About one-third of those who said they are seeking a new role consider a higher salary to be an essential motivating factor behind the move, and it’s also one of the key priorities when accepting a new position, Michael Page said.

However, work-life balance and flexible working hours are now also cemented as key factors, showing that workers are doubling down on their desire for greater autonomy.

In the 2023 survey, around 20% of employers saw hybrid/flexible working arrangements and flexible working hours as core recruitment requirements. In 2024, this has pushed up to almost 30%, showing that bosses are starting to realise how serious workers are.

Despite this, the tug-of-war in getting workers back into the office continues.

37% of employees who are working in some kind of hybrid arrangement report having to go into the office more in 2024. 25% say they’re working remotely more, and 35% say their arrangement hasn’t change.

On balance, this shows a victory for the work-from-homers.

However, Michael Page found that those who are working back at the office more are not doing it because they want to – with most citing company policy changes and stricter work requirements as the main reason.

The oft-cited pros of office work—face-to-face interaction, in-house growth and skills development and socialising with co-workers—fall far down the list of reasons people are going in.

“Many employers are struggling to find a hybrid model which works for all sides – all while recognising the fact that, for employees, work-life balance is not a ‘nice to have’, but a ‘need to have’,” the recruitment firm said.

“Job-hunters expect hybrid practices to be clearly outlined – these are prioritised in both job searches and when considering whether to stay in current roles.”

Michael Page warned that the study demonstrates that attempting to force the issue by instituting new attendance policies can drive attrition.

“Employees now expect to be able to control their own working patterns to a certain extent, and challenges to this autonomy are causing dissatisfaction at work,” it said.

The study also showed that, universally, employees are becoming more willing to forego promotions to maintain flexibility.

This was seen across age groups (20-50+) and geographical regions (including South Africa) where between 33% to 57% of workers said they would turn down a promotion so they could keep a healthier work-life balance.

“The implication (is clear): the desire for balance overcomes more traditional priorities such as an appetite for job progression even among junior workers,” Michael Page said.

This highlights the extent to which working patterns have evolved in a relatively short period of time.

“The ability to work flexibly is no longer an optional perk, it’s something employees expect.”

Read: The right to work from home in South Africa – what the law says