Almost half of employees would consider quitting if told they can’t work from home, research shows

The pandemic has seen a shift in attitudes to working from home

A substantial number of employees would consider quitting their job if their bosses weren't flexible around letting them work from home sometimes, a new survey has shown. 1,000 American adults were polled in May, with 39 per cent saying they would consider quitting if they weren't permitted to work remotely at least part time. The survey, first reported by Bloomberg, showed that of those who said they would consider quitting their job, 49 per cent are Millennials or 'Gen Z'. The Covid-19 pandemic saw offices all over the world move to remote working, and while the initial adjustment may have seen some teething issues, many employees grew to enjoy not having to commute and being able to spend more time at home. Everyone is different, and for some people the benefits of working in an office outweigh the benefits of working from home; the social aspect, working in a different environment, etc. But there has been a clear shift in attitudes to remote working after the pandemic showed how viable it is. Businesses have also noticed that remote working could allow them to cut back on office costs as well. Not all bosses are convinced by its long term sustainability though. Chris Biggs, a partner at the consultancy firm Theta Global Advisors, told Business Insider: "You could do a lot of damage to those who don't want to go into the office," before adding that workers should not be forced to work from the office.