One in six workers would quit if forced to return to office – Computerworld

The pushback against RTO policies has been varied, with some workers outright quitting, others quiet vacationing and still others coffee badging to make it appear they’ve met their in-office requirements. Millennials, in particular, were most recalcitrant. Career.io’s survey found more than a third of millennials simply plan to disregard enforced RTO regulations.

Overall, the survey found that 6.7% of workers plan to ignore the mandates by staying remote or going into the office less often, though 77% said they would comply with RTO policies to avoid consequences. (Despite the risk of losing top talent, few big corporations are offering incentives for employees to RTO. The survey found 65% of employees cited a pay raise as the top incentive, 54% want flexibility in hours to avoid peak commuting, and 10% said no incentive would make office returns worthwhile.)

Over half (54%) of respondents said RTO requirements would negatively affect their work-life balance. In recent years, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic upended office routines in 2020 and 2021, workers have flourished with the advantages of not having to go into their cubicles; employees get to work flexibly and avoid the 43 hours of commuting on average that American office workers had to endure in the last year, according to the study.