Nearly 40% of U.S. workers say they would quit their jobs if they were denied the option to work remotely, while 66% of employees said they would immediately start looking for a job that offered flexibility.
That's according to a survey of more than 2,300 full-time U.S. workers conducted by Owl Labs, a Somerville, Massachusetts-based technology company that makes products for remote workers. The results reflect what workers told those conducting the survey and not what they've actually done when faced with those options.
While more workers say they prefer remote work, some 49% say their managers view those who work in the office as harder working and more trustworthy than their remote counterparts, according to Owl Labs' sixth-annual "State of Remote Work" report.
The ability to work remotely, whether permanently or as part of a hybrid setup, has resulted in workers saying they've saved money and felt more productive. About 62% of workers say they are more productive when working remote. In-office workers spend twice as much when working from the office than their remote colleagues because of commute and lunch expenses, according to the report from Owl Labs.
A little more than half of workers would take a pay cut of 5% or more to have flexibility in their work location, with 23% saying they would take a pay cut of 10% or more, according to the report.
“Workers are clear on what working style works best for them, and if an employer isn’t able to bend to meet their needs, the choice is simple. In 2022, many people looked for new opportunities to change things up,” Owl Labs said.