As yet another study confirms that work-life balance is the biggest benefit for Americans who are allowed to work remotely at least part of the time, Remote Worker CEO Joseph Boll is urging businesses to reconsider return-to-office mandates.

The CEO’s comments come as dozens of companies began attempting to require employees to return to the office in-person over the past few months. This is despite the “Great Resignation”, or “Great Reshuffle”, and its newer relative, “Quiet Quitting”, still in full swing. According to Advanced Workplace Associates, many companies are not seeing the success they expected with return-to-work mandates, as attendance remains low despite the new rules.

“The benefits of remote work continue to outweigh the negatives,” says Boll. “In an environment where workers are consistently showing that they would rather quit, and join the ‘Great Resignation’, than stay loyal to an organization that denies them work-life balance, it’s critical that businesses adjust their operating models accordingly. There are more than enough studies outlining exactly what workers want and value most in a post-COVID workforce.”

One of the latest such studies was conducted by Gallup, an analytics and advisory committee. That study surveyed just shy of 8,100 “remote-capable” employees across the US. It found that, overwhelmingly, a better work-life balance was the biggest benefit for employees who were allowed to work remotely at least part of the time.

“Employees are returning to the office in droves, and hybrid work arrangements are quickly becoming the new normal for many remote-capable employees,” Gallup says.

However, it cautions against forcing remote employees to return to in-person offices, adding, “Forcing everyone into the office just to take Zoom calls and do independent work tasks they were doing from their living room in pajama pants will not be a welcome use of time for most hybrid workers.”

According to that survey, 71 percent of workers said work-life balance was the top advantage of hybrid work. Some 67 percent said more efficient use of time was the top advantage; 62 percent said it was the freedom to choose when/where to work; 58 percent said it was less work burnout or fatigue; and 51 percent said it was higher productivity. In contrast, the highest-ranking disadvantage came in at just 35% of hybrid employees, who listed the major disadvantage as less access to work resources and equipment.

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