Nearly two in five Aussie employers have mandated five days a week in the office for staff.
Robert Half director Nicole Gorton said there was a noticeable increase in return to office among employers. · Source: NCA Newswire/Robert Half
A growing number of Australian bosses are ordering staff back into the office full-time as a domino effect spreads through workplaces. Major companies like Amazon, Tab Corp, Flight Centre and Dell have recently ended work-from-home privileges for workers as employers move back in the driver's seat.
Nearly two in five (39 per cent) of Australian employers have mandated five days in the office for workers, new research from Robert Half found. This was up from 36 per cent last year and continues to be the most popular option among employers.
More employers are also mandating in-office attendance for a higher number of days, with the average required office days increasing from 3.43 to 3.64.
Robert Half director Nicole Gorton said the new year had brought another shift to a more office-centric work environment.
We're observing a fascinating domino effect in the return-to-office landscape this year, pressuring businesses to conform, Gorton said.
Employers are back in the driver's seat and dictate office attendance, knowing others are doing the same.
Return-to-office mandates introduced by other businesses had influenced 84 per cent of employers' own return-to-office policies, the survey of 500 employers found.
There's also less reluctance from employees as the trend becomes more widespread, with 63 per cent of employers reporting improved employee attitudes.
About 22 per cent of employers now require four days in the office, 20 per cent three days, 8 per cent two days, and just 4 per cent one day.
Meanwhile, the remaining 7 per cent allow workers to work from home as they wish, down from 9 per cent.
'Fundamental right': Pushback from employees
While employees are less reluctant to oppose in-office mandates, the shift is still divisive among workers.
A Yahoo Finance poll of more than 8,300 readers found 59 per cent of people would quit their jobs if they were forced back into the office, while a Randstad survey found 52 per cent of white-collar employees saw work from home as a fundamental right.
Some employers have argued higher salaries would be needed to entice them back into the office, with Gorton noting she had heard from employers that some staff were asking for pay rises even up to 20 per cent.
Many workers believe they deserve a premium for giving up the flexibility and autonomy of remote work due to commuting costs, potential childcare expenses and the loss of personal time which many consider are all factors that contribute to the financial burden of returning to the office full-time, Gorton said.
Gorton said premiums not might be an option for many employers in the current cost-driven environment.
Instead, she said employers would need to focus on other perks like enhancing the office environment, career development opportunities and the benefits of in-personal work to make the return more appealing.
Australia's job market still remains tight, with the unemployment rate rising by 0.1 per cent to 4.1 per cent in January.
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