What Bosses Really Think About Returning to the Office
We’ve talked with a lot of bosses about their return to the office – their return after an extended period away – but this study adds to the overall body of knowledge.
The study was conducted by Professor Chris Evans and Professors Michaela Dominguez-Ferrer and David Williams, from the Department of Information Studies at the University of Plymouth in the United Kingdom.
The sample size was a total of 202, with 80 employees and their bosses, with response rates of 55.3%, or 22-23 per cent of the overall workforce.
The data come from an online survey, which has previously been shown to be a good survey, by the Oxford University academics, with a range of different results, depending on the question being asked.
The aim of the study was to get a cross-sectional view of workers’ attitudes toward returning after an extended away from work.
Employees’ perception of the value of ‘office time’ ranged from 2.8 to 4.8 out of 10. This indicates an average workplace satisfaction with the value of office time, with the lowest being the least satisfied and the highest, the most satisfied.
The results of the study showed that the majority of workers who return back to work had either an excellent or very good impression of their work. However, the researchers also found that, within the sample, there are differences in perception between different types of workers, as well as different levels of seniority.
The study found that the respondents were more likely to have a positive perception of their workplace as a whole, with a great deal of ‘positive sentiment’, when compared to the overall workforce.
The respondents also stated that they were happier to return to work after a longer absence when compared to non-respondents, with less job satisfaction and less job strain.
The study found that the workers who returned to work after a long absence were less likely to have to rely on benefits and that they had greater job satisfaction.
