There's no way I am going back to work!

When the pandemic struck a lot of people were suddenly out of work.

Strangely, a lot of businesses actually did very well out of it.

Some businesses, like mine, just kept on the same as always - no more business, no less business.

But the most obvious change was just how many people suddenly started working from home and how successful that was.

In the Gartner report "Gartner Survey Finds 1-in-5 Workers Consider Themselves Digital Technology Experts Since COVID-19" it was found that

"...among employees whose work-from-home time increased since January 2020, 36% reported an increase in productivity, while 35% reported no change. Flexibility in working hours was the most cited factor enabling greater productivity, selected by 43% of respondents."

Those who experienced a drop in productivity usually blamed technology e.g. poor connectivity, slow speeds etc.

So employers should be happy, right?

But the push, by some employers, to bring teams back to the office is backfiring.

In the Gartner report "Gartner HR Survey Shows a Quarter of Australian Employees Are Seeking a New Job" it was clear that most employees did not want to go back to the way it was...

“Organizations must be quick to review their employee value proposition to ensure it’s in-line with what the post-COVID workforce is seeking,” said Mr. McEwan. “Taking away remote work options would be a risky move for employers, as many employees believe they have demonstrated they can be trusted to work from home. Instead, provide compelling in-office ‘experiences’, real flexibility and genuine time off to keep your best talent.”

...and that is why currently a quarter of employees are actively seeking new jobs.

If you are an employer with people you want to keep, you should probably listen to how they feel about their new mode of work.

I have to say that the main reason I left most of my jobs was because I felt like I was being paid to be ignored.

Telecommuting...working from home...works, and has worked for a very long time.

My wife and I moved to tassie off the back of her ability to work remotely for a global company. Unsurprisingly that company IS Gartner :-)

Have fun, stay home, keep your pajamas on :-)

David