More women than men are prepared to quit their current jobs if another role that allowed them to work remotely or more flexibly came available.
A new study has revealed that almost half (45pc) of women in the workforce would leave their current role in favour of a job that offers more flexibility.
This compares with 33pc of men in the workforce, according to the study commissioned by broadband player Pure Telecom.
This rises to 57pc of female office workers in their 30s who say they would leave their current job for a more flexible one, compared to 40pc of men in the same age group.
“Today’s workers know that the technology and connectivity for effective remote working is readily available and as our research shows, businesses who don’t take advantage of it will lose out”
The Pure Telecom research found that 56pc of office workers believe they could work remotely more often without it negatively impacting their work
Almost half of those (48pc) say their boss doesn’t allow it, while 12pc say their internet isn’t reliable or fast enough
The research also revealed that the average office worker would be willing to take a 6pc reduction in salary if it meant they could work remotely – rising to 7pc for women and reducing to 5pc for men.
Gen Z office workers would be willing to take a 13pc reduction in salary.
Pure Telecom’s survey also looked into the amount of time office workers spend commuting to and from work each week. It found that the average office worker spends 10.4 hours commuting each week – amounting to 511.7 hours, or just over 21 days, per office worker per year. This figure was calculated on the assumption that each office worker receives the statutory allowance of 20 paid holiday days, along with nine public holidays, each year.
Flexible working is the key to staff retention
Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom
“At a time when we are trying to get more women in the workforce, remote working seems like an obvious move to help more women to enter – or get back into – the workforce. Giving employees the ability to work from anywhere provides them the flexibility to work productively while also meeting their personal commitments,” said Paul Connell, director of Pure Telecom.
“The businesses with the best talent today are the ones who ensure their employees have a healthy work/life balance. And while commute times may not seem like a lot when you look at them on a daily or weekly basis, it all adds up.”
Connell pointed out that time spent commuting could instead be spent on more quality time with family, carrying out errands or going to the gym – without it impacting on an employee’s work.
“Today’s workers know that the technology and connectivity for effective remote working is readily available and as our research shows, businesses who don’t take advantage of it will lose out.
“This research also raises concerns around broadband connectivity across the country. With all the talk around 5G at the moment, it is worrying that many people don’t even have the internet connection needed to facilitate working from home. High-speed broadband is continuing to be rolled out to premises across the country and the availability of this will be essential in boosting employee satisfaction and retention everywhere.”
Written by John Kennedy (john.kennedy3@boi.com)
Published: 12 December, 2019
