Take a Pay Cut to Permanently Work from Home?

Do we or don’t we?

The advent of Covid introduced the American workforce to the option of working from home, and now the only thing that can lure them back to the office is FOMO.

It’s another one of those ubiquitous surveys that pop up indicating people don’t like sitting in bumper to bumper traffic for at least an hour a day, this one Atomik Research of financial services workers.

96% want to stay home and would be willing to give up a percentage of their salary to do it, but don’t take that conclusively. 86% want to go back. They’re confused.

It’s the fear of missing out that compels people to suffer the torture of office politics and commutes, according to the numbers – people wanting those random, paradigm-shifting conversations in the breakroom, the rumor-mill alerting of a new boss or the opportunity to show off a new ring. The oldest and strongest emotion known to mankind is fear, and fear of missing out is compelling. Or they're not.

It's a survey and not happening in reality, says Mark Fenner, a North Texas business coach who’s “Scaling Up” offers corporate leadership for enhanced profitability, helping employers find the right people and people to find the right job. “I’m not seeing people begging for more people or more time in the office. I’m seeing the other side of it, more of the desire for flexibility.” Remote work is here to stay and we're not going back.

It's a survey, but speaking of flexibility, the most interesting thing the survey discovered is that 35% of those professionals say they’ve conducted a business meeting while sitting on the toilet. That sound you heard in the background sounding like a flush? Flexibility in motion.

photo: Getty Images


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