How Employee Desire for Flexibility and Concern From Companies Is Driving the Future of Work
US Catalyst-CNBC survey finds unfulfilled desire for flexible and/or remote work during the pandemic.
More than seven of 10 employees (76%) say they want their company to make work permanently flexible in terms of things like schedule and/or location. But there is a catch. The desire for work flexibility is being met with a conflicting message—about three-quarters of employees report that their employer thinks they are more innovative (72%) and work harder (75%) in the office or on-site, according to a survey of 903 employees in the United States commissioned by Catalyst and CNBC, conducted online by The Harris Poll.
The Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on employees, so much so that half of employees (50%) intend to make career changes as a result—and the top change they cite is asking for location flexibility (i.e., remote work flexibility) (41%). Working parents are particularly likely to want to make a career change, including exiting their jobs. Sixty-four percent of parents with children ages 3-17 intend to make career changes due to Covid-19 (vs. just 40% of those who are not parents of children ages 3-17), and among those who do, 27% plan to quit their current job to start their own business (vs. just 10% of those who are not parents of children ages 3-17).
The data highlights the pandemic’s continued impact on the workplace, showing that the “Great Resignation”—the mass, voluntary exodus from the workforce—will continue if companies and managers don’t demonstrate more empathy or care and understanding for employees’ concerns as well as life/work needs.
Key Takeaways
Employees Desire Flexible and Remote Work Options
Flexible-work options are critical for employees: a whopping 76% of employees say they want their company to make work permanently flexible, for example when it comes to things like schedule or location.
Location flexibility, in particular, tops the list of changes employees intend to make in their career. Among those who intend to make career changes due to Covid-19, 41% said they are going to ask for location flexibility.
At the same time, there appears to be a disconnect between employers and employees; most employees say they are getting the message that their company thinks employees are more innovative (72%) and work harder (75%) in the office or on-site.
Career Change Decision-Making
Many employees (50%) want to make a variety of career moves because of the pandemic. But among those who plan to make a change, requesting location flexibility (41%) holds the top spot. Other changes they cite are:
- asking their employer for a raise and/or promotion (39%).
- looking for a job in a new industry (33%).
- seeking another job in the same industry (32%).
- planning to quit their current job and start their own business (22%).
Overall, roughly two in five employees are considering quitting their job because their company (41%) or manager (37%) has not cared about their concerns during the pandemic.
Employed men are far more likely than employed women to say they are considering quitting their job because their company (50% vs. 30%) or manager (44% vs. 29%) has not cared about their concerns during the pandemic.
Pressures Faced by Working Parents
Working parents of children ages 3-17 are hit hard: more than half are considering leaving their jobs because they feel their company (54%) or manager (51%) has not cared about their concerns during the pandemic.
Almost two in three working parents (65%) think their ability to do their best work has been impacted by worries over sending their children back to school in the pandemic.
Most working parents say they want their children’s school to mandate masking for everyone (78%) and mandate vaccination for eligible students, teachers, and school staff (69%).
Working parents could benefit from more support from their employer. While roughly three out of five working parents (62%) say their employer has improved their childcare offerings and policies since last year, a similar proportion of working parents (61%) feel they are burnt out at work from managing their children’s educational needs during Covid-19.
Demographics
Flexible and Remote Work Are Critical—But Companies Are Sending a Mixed Message
Flexible-work options are critical for employees: a whopping 76% of employees say they want their company to make work permanently flexible in terms of things like schedule or location. Half of the employees (50%) intend to make a career change because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Of those who intend to make a career change, 41% are going to ask for location flexibility.
Most employees think their company (78%) and their manager (80%) understand their need to manage life and work demands. About seven in 10 (72%) say their employer supports flexible-work options related to work schedule (i.e., schedule flexibility, flextime) and two of three employees (66%) say the same of work location (i.e., remote work, distributed work).
But there is a catch. Employees are also getting the message that their employer favors on-site work. Roughly three of four employees say their employer believes employees are more innovative (72%) and work harder (75%) in the office/onsite. It’s a mixed and contradictory message: both that companies understand their need to manage life and work demands and support work flexibility, yet their employer still seems to prefer on-site working.
Employees Are Getting Mixed Messages When It Comes to Workplace Flexibility
EMPLOYERS SEEM TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR FLEXIBILITY…
- 7 in 10 employees (72%) say their employer supports schedule flexibility.
- 2 of 3 employees (66%) say their employer supports work location flexibility.
…YET EMPLOYEES ARE GETTING THE MESSAGE THEIR EMPLOYER STILL FAVORS ONSITE WORK.
- About 3 of 4 employees say their employer believes employees are more innovative (72%) and work harder (75%) in the office/onsite.
The Pandemic and Lack of Employer Concern Is Motivating Employees to Make a Change
The pandemic has had a major impact on the employee experience, and if more employers don’t pay attention to the needs of their employees, they may lose them. Half of employed Americans (50%) intend to make career changes as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Among those who intend to make a career change, asking for location flexibility (41%) tops the list of changes they intend to make. This is followed by asking their employer for a raise and/or promotion (39%) and looking for another job in a new industry (33%). Next, 32% say they’re going to look for another job in the same industry, while about one in five (22%) are going to quit their current job and start their own business.
During times of crisis, it is vital that employers and leaders show care and concern for their employees. But more than half of employees (57%) don’t feel comfortable sharing their life circumstances or feelings with their manager.
Findings also reveal that lack of care from employers is motivating employees to consider new employment.
- Roughly two in five employees are considering leaving their job because their company (41%) or their manager (37%) has not cared about their concerns during the pandemic.
- Interestingly, while much has been written about the impact of the pandemic on working women, the survey found that employed men are far more likely than employed women to say they are considering quitting their job because their company (50% vs. 30%) or manager (44% vs. 29%) has not cared about their concerns during the pandemic.
Career or job moves are not the only things employees want to change. Many people want changes to have more fulfilling jobs and lives.
Employers can make a difference. Among those who work fully remotely, nearly two in five (39%) say their employer has implemented practices or policies since the pandemic that have positively impacted their willingness to stay at their job.
Parents’ Exit Plan from Their Careers or Jobs Is Top of Mind
The impact of Covid-19 is evident among working parents especially, as they are significantly more likely to intend to make career changes because of the pandemic than those without children (64% vs. 40%).
Differences also are prevalent when looking at the types of career changes working parents plan to make compared to non-parents. Among those who intend to make career changes as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, working parents are more likely than working non-parents to say they intend to:
- Ask for location flexibility (51% vs. 34%).
- Ask their employer for a raise and/or promotion (47% vs. 22%).
- Quit their current job to start their own business (27% vs. 10%).
Working parents are thinking about quitting because of lack of concern from their employer at a higher rate than non-parents. Working parents are much more likely than non-parents to say they are considering leaving their job because their company (54% vs. 29%) or manager (51% vs. 25%) has not cared about their concerns during the pandemic.
For Parents, School Brings Concerns
We found that the majority of working parents have concerns about their children contracting Covid-19 while at school, and while many desire public health mandates be put in place, some have opted to just keep their children home this school year.
More than seven in 10 working parents (73%) are afraid their children will get Covid-19 at school. This concern could be driving the desire for health mandates, as more than three in four working parents (78%) want their children’s school to mandate masking for everyone, and nearly seven in 10 (69%) want their children’s school to mandate vaccination for eligible students, teachers, and school staff. Some parents have opted to avoid the risk altogether, with about one in 10 employees who are working fully remotely (7%) deciding to keep their children home from school this fall, rather than risk them getting Covid-19 at school.
While just over three in five working parents (62%) say their employer has improved their childcare offerings or policies since last year, a similar proportion (61%) are burnt out at work from managing their children’s education needs during Covid-19, suggesting that they could use more support from their employer. Furthermore, almost two in three working parents (65%) think their ability to do their best work has been impacted by worries over sending their children to school in the pandemic.
Parents See Improvement in Company Policies—Yet, They’re Enduring Burnout and Worried About Their Ability to Do Their Best Work
SOME EMPLOYERS ARE MAKING IMPROVEMENTS…
- 3 in 5 working parents (62%) say their employer has improved childcare offerings or policies since last year.
…YET PARENTS STILL FACE CHALLENGES AT WORK DURING THE PANDEMIC
- 61% feel burnt out at work from managing children’s educational needs during Covid-19.
- 65% think their ability to do their best work has been impacted by worries over sending children to school in the pandemic.
Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Catalyst between September 14-16, 2021, among 2,070 US adults ages 18+, among whom 903 are employed full-time/part-time (447 men and 449 women), and 370 are employed parents of children ages 3-17. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. Results were weighted for age within gender, region, race and ethnicity, household income, education, and size of household where necessary to align them with their actual proportions in the population.
How to cite this product: The great work/life divide: How employee desire for flexibility and concern from companies is driving the future of work. Report. (2021). Catalyst.