Two-fifths (43 per cent) of U.S. employees say they’re more afraid of working in an office full time than of losing their romantic relationship or getting a divorce, according to a new survey by LiveCareer.
The survey, which polled more than 3,800 employees, also found many workers are more fearful of the prospect of full-time office work than climate change (53 per cent), getting into an accident (41 per cent) and natural disasters, such as earthquakes or hurricanes (41 per cent).
Read: 51% of U.S. hybrid, remote workers would quit their jobs if mandated to return to office: survey
While 44 per cent of respondents said they were skeptical that remote work would be successful before they tried it, the majority now prefer a remote or hybrid working arrangement. Indeed, a majority (71 per cent) now prefer working remotely 100 per cent of the time, with more women expressing a preference for this option than male workers (73 per cent compared to 63 per cent, respectively). Notably, 22 per cent of respondents said they prefer a hybrid working model and roughly half (49 per cent) admitted they don’t enjoy traditional office work.
A majority also said working remotely is better for their mental health (82 per cent) and less stressful (76 per cent) than working onsite, while nearly two-thirds (62 per cent) said their overall job satisfaction is greatest when they work remotely 100 per cent of the time.
Read: 77% of employees believe remote, hybrid working improves well-being: survey
Six in 10 employees said they feel most productive (60 per cent) and most motivated (58 per cent) when working remotely 100 per cent of the time. More than two-fifths (44 per cent) said they work longer hours while working remotely than they do when in the office, including 48 per cent of men and 43 per cent of women.
By contrast, just two per cent of workers expressed a preference for working fully onsite and only three per cent said their overall job satisfaction is greatest or they feel most productive when working onsite 100 per cent of the time.
Read: 90% of Canadian remote workers say working from home hasn’t hurt productivity: survey