A quarter (26 per cent) of Canadian workers said the biggest downside of remote working is feeling isolated or missing out on the team environment, according to a new survey by staffing firm Robert Half Canada Inc.
Other drawbacks included people abusing the benefit and not sticking to working hours (20 per cent); interpersonal relationships suffering because most communication is by phone or email (16 per cent); the loss of face time, which means telecommuting workers may lose out on new projects or promotions (10 per cent); and the effect on creativity as they have no one to bounce ideas off of (nine per cent).
Read: Telecommuting most popular form of flexible working provision: survey
On the other hand, 18 per cent of respondents said there’s no downside to remote working,
Two-thirds (65 per cent) of respondents said the ability to telecommute at least some of the time would increase the likelihood they’d take a new job. That number rose to 79 per cent among employees aged 18 to 34. It dropped to 60 per cent among those aged 35 to 54 and 40 per cent among workers over 55.
“The ability to work remotely is just one of many perks job seekers look for when considering a potential employer,” said Greg Scileppi, president of international staffing operations at Robert Half, in a news release.
“To appeal to top talent, managers must evaluate what candidates want against their total compensation package, and determine where they can incorporate benefits like flexible work options in ways that align with business goals and obligations.”
Read: Majority of Canadian organizations offer flexible working options: survey