Conference Board: Only 9% of employees working in office full-time

A new survey reveals employees' discomfort about returning to the office — and their future plans.

Only 9% of the surveyed employees reported they were working in the office full time, according to a survey of 2,000 U.S. workers by The Conference Board. Forty-eight percent were fully remote, while 45% work a hybrid schedule.

Seventy-one percent of companies changed their return-to-the-workplace plans due to the rise of COVID cases and, of that number, 48% have not yet determined a date to return. The study found that one in five workers is not comfortable returning to the workplace, with 20% not at all comfortable returning. Two in five (40%) are moderately comfortable returning to the workplace. Individual contributors are more uncomfortable (30%) returning to the workplace than CEOs (7%). Women are slightly more (22%) uncomfortable returning than me (16%).

Also, 43% questioned the wisdom of returning to the workplace given the belief that productivity remained high while working remotely, the same as in a May 2021 workplace survey.

“Amid the vast uncertainty with returning to the workplace, coupled with the strong discomfort many feel about returning, these results make clear: This relentless pandemic continues to dictate workplace plans and policies,” said Rebecca Ray, executive VP, human capital, The Conference Board. “The need for continued flexibility, transparency, and empathy from management remains a top priority. While many are eager to return to a sense of normalcy, simply mandating a return date and highlighting the safety protocols that will be in place is not enough; leaders need to articulate a compelling reason to return to the workplace at all.”

Intent to Leave

In other survey findings, one in 10 of the survey respondents said they intend to leave their organizations in the next six months. Better pay (45%), career advancement (39%), and the ability to work from anywhere (28%) remain the top reasons workers left or intend to leave their jobs.

• Only 7% cite concerns over vaccine mandates as the reason they left or intend to leave.
• Millennials left or plan to leave their jobs at nearly three times the rate of baby boomers (millennials: 30%; Gen X: 17%; baby boomers: 11%).
• Retirement was cited as the top reason boomers left or intend to leave their jobs in the next six months.
• Women cite new supervisor/manager as the reason for leaving their position at nearly two times the rate of men (women: 14%; men: 8%).

Employee Engagement

• Nearly a quarter (24$ report decreased levels of engagement. That’s an increase from 19% in August 2021 and 15% in May 2021, demonstrating a steady decline in engagement levels over the past eight months.

• Individual contributors report declines in engagement levels at nearly three times the rate of CEOs (individual contributors: 31%; CEOs: 11%).
• Nearly one-third of workers report their level of engagement increased during the pandemic.

“With one in four workers suffering decreased levels of engagement, fighting the burnout battle will be a defining challenge for businesses in 2022,” said Robin Erickson, VP, human capital, The Conference Board. “This challenge is made even greater by today’s tight labor market, a time of historic quit rates and plentiful job opportunities. Companies will need to prioritize building and sustaining a strong culture, offering flexibility where possible, and ensuring opportunities for growth and development to attract—and retain—the best and brightest.”