A growing number of workers are saying they would leave their job if they were no longer allowed to work from home.
As more companies bring workers back to the office, many employees are expressing their preference to work remotely.
How We Did This
A recent survey by the Pew Research Center found that 75% of employed adults with jobs that can be done remotely are working from home at least some of the time.
The results are clear: a large number of these workers say they would consider leaving their job if remote work was no longer an option.
Key Findings
- 46% of remote workers say they’d be unlikely to stay at their job if they couldn’t work from home anymore. This includes 26% who say they’d be very unlikely to stay.
- 36% of workers say they’d be likely to stay at their job even without the option of remote work.
- 17% say it wouldn’t matter either way.
Groups More Likely to Leave Their Jobs
Some groups are more likely than others to say they would quit if they couldn’t work from home:
- Women are more likely than men (49% vs. 43%).
- Younger workers under 50 are more likely than older workers (50% vs. 35%).
- Workers who always work remotely are more likely than those who work from home some of the time (61% vs. 47% and 28%).
Job Satisfaction Matters
Workers who are not satisfied with their job are more likely to say they’d leave if remote work wasn’t allowed.
About 52% of dissatisfied workers said they’d quit, compared to 41% of highly satisfied workers.
The Shift Toward In-Office Work
More companies are now requiring workers to come into the office for a certain number of days. In early 2023, 63% of workers said they had in-office requirements. By late 2024, that number had risen to 75%.
Hybrid Work Preferences
Many workers who work from home part-time don’t want to work remotely full-time.
Among hybrid workers, only 24% want to work from home all the time, while 72% prefer a hybrid arrangement.
Interestingly, 63% of workers who rarely work remotely say they would prefer to work from home some of the time if they had the choice. 19% would want to work from home all the time.
As more companies require in-office time, the debate over remote work is heating up.
It’s clear that many workers value the flexibility of remote work and are willing to seek other opportunities if it’s taken away.