Employees are missing in-office food and beverage perks, such as free coffee and drinks, free snacks, a cafeteria and catered meals. (Photo: Shutterstock)
After months of anticipation, returning to in-person work has been a disappointment for many employees. More than four in 10 office workers surveyed by BambooHR found returning to the office did not match their expectations.
"At some point in March 2020, we all said goodbye to our coworkers and expected we would see them again in a couple of weeks, but instead many of us have become permanent remote workers," said Cassie Whitlock, head of HR at BambooHR. "As companies reopen workspaces, it's important to understand what their people are expecting and how to manage reality in order to create a positive outcome for everyone."
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Additional findings and insights from BambooHR's study include:
The expected benefits of returning are not matching the reality of being back. The survey asked respondents to consider the differences in what they wanted from returning to the office and how it matched their actual experiences. One in three office workers said they actually felt worse being in the office than they did at even their lowest point during remote work.
In-office perks also have been curtailed for many during the pandemic, according to 61% of employees. Perhaps unsurprisingly, in-office food and beverage took the biggest hit, with free coffee and drinks (gone, said 30%), free snacks (23%), a cafeteria (23%) and catered meals (18%), which once were prominent but no longer are offered.
People like the upside of working from home. Lockdowns and stay-at-home orders to combat the COVID-19 pandemic have been difficult for many families. But people aren't necessarily eager to return to long commutes, regimented hours and more time away from family and friends. The simple comforts of being in one's own home are an additional draw for many.
Younger generations are more eager to work in an office environment. Many may assume that widespread changes to the traditional work setup are driven by younger employees, but it's older workers who are less interested in returning to in-person environments. Only 28% of millennials and 27% of Gen Zers were interested in full-time remote work, while 33% of Gen Xers and 41% of baby boomers said they preferred working from home.
Executives and employees don't agree on remote work. Forty-three percent of rank-and-file employees believed that the majority of people at the company wanted to work remotely full time. However, only 32% of managers felt the same and just 22% of vice presidents agreed.
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Alan Goforth
Alan Goforth is a freelance writer in suburban Kansas City. In addition to freelancing for several publications, he has written a dozen books about sports and other topics.
