Most young workers reluctant to return to workplace full-time: Report

More than 7 in 10 (71%) of 18-24 year-olds and two-third (66%) of 25-34 year-olds would consider looking for another job if their employer insisted on a full-time return to workplace, said the report

Even as organisations are gradually opening offices after the pandemic, a report has revealed that most workers between 25-34 years of age globally are likely to look for a new job if employers insist on going into the workplace everyday.

Younger workers are more reluctant than their older colleagues to return to the workplace full-time as employers seek to encourage staff back into the office, according to the ADP Research Institute's 'People at Work 2022: A Global Workforce View'.

According to the report, more than seven in 10 (71 per cent) of 18-24 year-olds and two-third (66 per cent) of 25-34 year-olds would consider looking for another job if their employer insisted on a full-time return to the workplace, compared to 56 per cent of the 45-54 age bracket.

Overall, two-third of the global workforce (64 per cent) have already, or would consider, looking for another job if their employer stipulated that they must come in to work on the premises every day.

In India, 76.38 per cent of workers interviewed said they would contemplate quitting if this happened, said the report.

The report is based on a survey among 32,924 workers in 17 countries around the world, including 1,600 in India, between 1 November and 24 November 2021.

"Lockdowns have been eased and raise the question of whether workers can be asked or compelled to return to work. For many, this could be a deciding factor in their decision to leave. These findings contradict some people's beliefs that younger people are desperate to return to the workforce for social and career advancement reasons," ADP India MD Rahul Goyal noted.

In India, the report found that 75 per cent of workers felt that they have continued to collaborate with their teams perfectly while working remotely, thus a lot of them are reluctant to return to the office full-time.

"It is important for young people to be surrounded by peers and superiors to learn and gain experience and create networks early on in their careers and they need to find new ways to encourage them back to an in-person environment, engage them once there and help rebuild lost confidence and skills," Goyal added.

For example, having accessible human capital management data to create visibility around individuals and teams could help to inform decision-making, build a more connected internal culture and enhance trust and loyalty between employers and staff, he added.