Marvin OnumonuLess than half of UK workers said they would go back to the office full-time if told to by their employer, according to research by the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s College London (KCL) and King’s Business School.
42% of workers said they would comply with a five-day return-to-office (RTO) rule, down from 54% in early 2022.
The number of workers who said they would look for a new job with homeworking rose from 40% to 50% over the same period.
The share who said they would quit straight away doubled from 5% to 10%.
Overall, 58% of workers said they would either quit immediately or start looking for a new job if made to return full-time.
64% of women said they would quit or look for another job, compared to 51% of men.
In early 2022, 38% of fathers with school-age children said they would quit or look for a new job if told to return full-time, rising to 53% by the end of 2024.
One in three (33%) mothers with young children said they would comply with a full-time office return.
Black and minority ethnic workers showed higher rates of compliance, which researchers said could reflect concerns about job security and discrimination.
Research also showed that around 26% to 27% of women and 27% to 30% of men said their home was their main place of work between early 2022 and late 2024.
The average permitted work-from-home (WFH) days increased from less than one day a week in 2022 to about 1.3 days in 2024.
One in four (25%) workers reported working remotely at least three days a week, and two in five (40%) worked remotely at least once a week.
Researchers warned that strict RTO rules could create a two-tier workforce and affect diversity. Women and parents who cannot comply may be forced out.
Heejung Chung, professor of work and employment and director of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at KCL, said: “An increasing amount of research shows that well-designed hybrid working models offer significant benefits for both employers and employees.
“Alongside this, there has been a marked shift in attitudes, with workers now seeing flexibility as the norm. Managers need to understand and adapt to this new reality.
“Rather than forcing a return to pre-pandemic working patterns, organisations should be looking to formalise hybrid models, invest in remote collaboration tools, and set up coordinated in-office days to maximise engagement.”
Chung added: “Where possible, workers should feel emboldened to hold their ground in the face of return-to-office mandates, as the weight of the evidence demonstrating remote working does not harm productivity is growing.
“In fact, many studies are finding flexible workers tend to work longer and harder compared to those who do not work flexibly – and importantly, those who are able to work remotely tend to be more loyal and committed to their jobs.”
