Alison Green is a person who is as involved in work-related anxiety and office politics than anyone else. She has been answering workplace questions on her website, Ask a Manager for over ten years. Direct Report is a collection of themes that she has uncovered in her inbox. They help to explain the modern workplace, and show how we can better navigate it.Many offices are bringing employees back to work, which is becoming more popular because some employees don't want to leave.There have been rumblings that workers are leaving or threatening to leave the workplace if they can't work remotely for too long. Remote work has provided many benefits to many. The lack of a commute, flexibility in schedule and casual dress have all made remote work a huge benefit for many. Not to mention the productivity gains that many workers have experienced without constant interruptions from chatty coworkers.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAre people willing to leave their jobs if they are unable to work in their PJs? I was curious to see if this trend is real so I asked readers of my column Ask a Manager for their opinions. I was quite surprised at the results.A lot of people I spoke to said they would quit if they had to return to work. This is a common sentiment shared by many others:Although my small office did not have any remote work before the pandemic we were able to reach everyone completely remotely and prove that we can still be as productive. A combination of in-office and remote work was discussed as a possibility during discussions about the future office. They are now talking about returning to the office next month. It is unclear if they will still be offering the WFH part. If they need 100% back at the office, I will look for a new job. I used to commute 24 days a year, and that is not something I want to do again.AdvertisementMany people are considering changing jobs if they need to return to work, and many have done so. Here's a sample of what I heard.I asked my boss if he would be open to the idea of full-time remote work (with perhaps one per week team meetings). After a conversation, I was told it was impossible. I found a remote job at $5k less and was out in a month. I find it much more enjoyable working remotely and I doubt that I will ever go back to an office job.I am currently in negotiations with a competitor for the exact same job, with exactly the same benefits/pay/etc. However, I am able to work remotely. I am truly sad to be leaving my job. I love the company, the people and I have a great CEO. I'm not the only one. Everyone (except one) from a nearby department has raised this issue. It is madness, and it will really impact the business. Background: I work in a cubicle, and I rarely get to interact with people. Why do I need to travel to work to accomplish that? A hybrid would have been great! Nope! So I set off.AdvertisementAdvertisementThis is what I quit. I'm fortunate to have enough savings that I can coast for a few more years without affecting my quality of living. I could even stretch my budget if necessary. I don't plan to work again in an office, or anywhere that requires me to commute. I am able to choose from a variety of opportunities, which I will use to my advantage.My company was keen to have local employees return to work at the start of 2021. That week I began job hunting and found a fantastic remote position. While I appreciate an employer's right to send employees wherever they choose, that doesn't mean they have the right to make their own schedules.AdvertisementMy job is rewarding, my coworkers are great, and I enjoy what I do. WFH was a great place to work. They just brought me back into the office last week, but won't say anything about adding a remote policy until September. So I was curious and started looking for a job. Within a week, I found a job that was similar, with better pay, but completely remote. Tomorrow is my last day. I gave notice last Wednesday. Everyone at work was shocked to hear that I am leaving.AdvertisementHowever, not everyone feels this way. Many people don't like working from home, and they are happy to return to work. Some of them even say that they would quit their job if they could not return to work.AdvertisementIf I was told that I couldn't come to work, I would look for another job. It's not too difficult to work a day here and there. My studio apartment is small enough that I can see my work station everywhere. To make it work, I would have to rent or buy a house that is absurdly large. My team members who have done well have large homes with plenty of room that they can close the doors on. People who have difficulty are often in shared spaces with others or with other aspects of their lives. I was furious when my boss rented a smaller space. He also wanted to do hot-desking. There isn't enough space for people with small offices and cubes. There is not enough space for those who wish to work in the office right now. This is a way to pretend that we have a great culture and demand exclusive use of people's homes.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementManagers are reporting unusual levels of turnover and difficulty in finding candidates for companies that don't allow employees to work remotely.I am looking for candidates to fill certain positions. It has been extremely difficult to attract candidates with our strict no-flexibility policies. Multiple quality candidates have been lost to companies that offer more flexible workplace policies. Companies that are unwilling to adapt will feel the consequences in the months ahead. It is not going to turn out to be a good idea. Myself, I am moving to a remote location and Im not the only one who is looking to change.AdvertisementWhat's the deal? It is obvious that working remotely is a major part of the reason, but there has been a lot of reflection over what is most important and how people want to spend their time in the past year. This is a great example for others.I am rethinking my career goals and aiming to change my long-term financial goals so that I can retire earlier (though it is still decades away). To be honest, I did not survive a pandemic and then work my way to death. These conversations are happening between me and my peers (white-collar professionals in their 30s mostly). We all want to do less work or do more work that matters.AdvertisementAdvertisementAfter going through the last year in which many people were asked for work to be brought into their homes over night and managed to keep it running smoothly while simultaneously juggling remote learning, child care, and a lot of stress, many people now see their relationship with their employer differently.In response to my employer's new work-from-home policy, I have been seriously considering quitting. I will be home in three days, and at work two days. This is a significant improvement on the previous (10 days per year) situation. The way they presented the plan really upset me: A flat rule, no manager flexibility. This is how I approach my job, especially when working from home. I've been flexible, working longer hours, and so on. I don't want to be seen as a slut, but I do want the same flexibility that I give my job. My job is a partnership. If my employer does not treat it this way, I will consider other options.AdvertisementWe are in a moment for reckoning and employees are taking power in new ways. Companies that treat people well are more likely to adapt to this new reality. This is true even though the labor market wasn't as imperative. This is a valid point.
