More than a third of UK workers ‘would quit if told to return to office full-time’

More than a third of UK workers have said they would quit their job if their employer demanded they return to the office full-time, according to research showing how much the world of work has changed since the first Covid lockdown.

Six in 10 employees are considering changing their job this year, according to data gathered by the professional networking site LinkedIn.

Women are particularly keen on more workplace flexibility, and more than half (52%) reported they had left or were considering leaving their job because of a lack of flexibility, according to the research, which combined LinkedIn data with the results of multiple worker surveys.

The responses by workers are seen as further evidence that employers will need to continue to offer flexibility to their workforce in order to recruit and retain staff, especially during a tight labour market.

Thursday next week marks three years since the beginning of the first UK lockdown, which brought with it an immediate move to home working for many previously office-based workers.

The majority of employers adopted a hybrid model, even as Covid rules were eased, with workers splitting their time between their desks and home or another location.

However, the research indicates the share of job postings for remote roles has shrunk for the past 10 months, declining to almost 11% of the UK total – a 30% fall compared with a year earlier.

LinkedIn found that demand for remote roles was outstripping supply in the UK, with remote roles receiving more than a fifth (22%) of job applications in February. Yet almost half (49%) of company leaders in the UK and abroad have said they would prefer their employees to work more frequently from the office.

In February, US workers at the online retailer Amazon criticised the move by the company’s chief executive to ask them and their colleagues around the world to return to the office for the majority of the working week, or at least three days.

Andy Jassy wrote in a staff memo: “Collaborating and inventing is easier and more effective when we’re in person.” He added that it was easier for workers to learn from each other, and feel more connected to their colleagues, when sharing the same workspace.

Amazon is not alone: LinkedIn found in late 2022 that almost a third (32%) of companies were looking to cut back on allowing employees to work from home.

Ngaire Moyes, LinkedIn’s country manager for the UK, said many workers did not want life to return to how it was before Covid. “We know that flexibility brings all sorts of benefits – including being a huge motivator for employees – meaning it’s crucial for employers to consider this when it comes to attracting top talent,” she said. “However, it also creates a level of complexity for leaders.”

Socialising with colleagues may be one further motivation for workers to visit the office more frequently. Almost a third (30%) of UK employees said they wanted to make more effort with their colleagues this year, while a similar figure said they planned to go to their workplace more frequently.