Remote working may no longer be an optional perk for companies that want to keep talented staff. More than a quarter (26%) of U.S. “knowledge workers”–defined as those who primarily work in professional settings using computers–have already quit their jobs to move to companies that allow remote working, according to a new survey. The Remote Work Report, commissioned by Zapier and conducted online by The Harris Poll with 880 knowledge workers, also found that women (24%) are more likely than men (17%) to have moved jobs to secure flexible schedules. Across the board, 95% of these workers want to work remotely, yet 31% are currently employed by companies that don’t allow it. Of these, 74% are willing to hand in their notice to work for a company that lets them work remotely. Two-thirds believe the traditional office setting will be obsolete for most roles by the year 2030. Among the most popular reasons to work from home are saving money (48%) and spending more time with family (44%). But 29% believe it would make a difference to their mental health and 23% are motivated by environmental sustainability, while 18% want to be present for their pets. Jennifer Farris, chief people officer at Terminal, which builds remote engineering teams for startups to access technical talent, says employees no longer want to choose between a great job and where they want to live. She adds: "The data confirms that the future of work is remote. Employers who don’t recognize this movement and don’t adjust to make their culture more remote-work friendly will risk missing out on accessing the best talent for their businesses." This report will likely be a wake-up call for companies dragging their heels on remote working. It follows an experiment by Microsoft Japan which saw its 2,300 workers switch to a four-day week and take part in a simultaneous telecommuting initiative over the summer. During that period, the company saw a 39.9% increase in sales per employee compared to the same period in 2018, along with a 23% reduction in electricity usage and 58.7% fewer pages printed. Meet the remote workers (who are less stressed and have more time for cooking, creative writing and tennis) Caitlin Proctor, 26, is a marketing manager for online resume writing service Zipjob. For the past 11 months she has worked from her home in the San Francisco Bay Area full time. Her previous role as a campaign manager for a nonprofit in Los Angeles involved traveling locally up to 75% of the time, with the remaining time spent in the office. She says: “Cutting out commuting–especially after spending so much time in LA traffic–was invaluable for me and my mental health. When I work remotely, I'm able to control my environment and maximize my productivity. I love being able to focus deeply on a task without any friendly or well-meaning interruptions. I've added at least an hour to my day by cutting out a commute, giving me more time and energy for cooking and creative writing.” Thomas F. Dunn, 58, quit a Boston area law practice to join virtual law firm Culhane Meadows so that he could work remotely and cut out his commute. Just 5% of his time is now spent in the office, with 80% of his work done from home or libraries, and 15% of his time spent traveling to see clients and partners. He says: “It was important to me to eliminate a very challenging daily commute. Spending two to three hours each day traveling in and out of Boston was a major source of stress in my life. It was also time-consuming and expensive. Spending less time commuting has allowed me to spend more time exercising and on client matters. I especially enjoy playing tennis, which I can now do both more frequently and during the day, which is a nice break from legal work.”
More than a quarter of all knowledge workers – people in professional environments with computer experience – have switched jobs to move to companies that allow remote working , according to the Remote Work Report . Software integration firm Zapier conducted a survey of 880 knowledge workers , which found that 95 % want to work remotely , 74 % of whom would be willing to switch jobs to work for a company that allows remote working .