While some Australian workers think that working from home can improve their output, well-being, and health, the majority of them will pass up the chance to do so if it means accepting a salary decrease.
55% of workers are unwilling to forgo a pay rise in exchange for the ability to work remotely, according to a survey of 1,113 employees carried out by Akshay Vij, an associate professor at the University of South Australia’s UniSA Business, and Research Fellow Lynette Washington.
31% of these workers do not believe that working from home has any “significant benefits.” They are concerned about how working remotely may impact their opportunities for learning new skills, developing relationships inside the organisation, and advancing their careers.
However, over 25% stated that if it meant they could work from home, they would be ready to accept a pay drop of 16% to 33%. The annual salary range for these labourers is A$12,000 (USD$10,601) to A$24,000 (USD$21,203).Most of them work in the “knowledge economy” in white-collar jobs.
Employees in their 30s and 50s are statistically more likely to be against returning to the office, while female employees are 28% more likely to favour working from home. On the other hand, younger workers in their 20s who are just beginning their careers are less likely to value remote work since they most likely value face-to-face connections with their superiors and coworkers.
In addition, researchers recommended that companies adopt a multimodal approach to find the right equilibrium between meeting the demands of each worker and attracting and retaining top talent.
Some workers were given the option to work from home in exchange for a greater salary. However, others may worry about how working from home could affect their career.
“According to the experts, Many employees place a high importance on flexibility and in-person interactions. Finding the right balance is more important than ever since COVID has shown us how many of our jobs can be completed from home.
