‘Detrimental impact’: 86% of bosses say WFH halts career progression opportunities

The vast majority of employers admit that work-from-home arrangements are limiting their employees’ career progression opportunities.

It’s no secret that flexibility has become one of the top considerations for workers. While the benefits of promoting flexibility have been the topic of discussion for some time, there is another consideration often overlooked.

Eighty-six per cent of Australian business leaders believe that working from home is limiting the career progression of employees, according to the Global Workplace Insights Report by Unispace.

Unispace said that these limitations include fewer opportunities for bonuses, promotions, and pay rises.

Emma Forster Mitrovski, chief executive at Unispace Australia and New Zealand, commented on the research: “There is an opportunity to encourage greater connectivity, collaboration and wellbeing in the workplace — a careful balance needs to be struck between enticing people back to the office, reducing workforce burnout and limiting office distractions.”

The work-from-home mandate divide is relatively even, with 51 per cent of workers in the office four or more days per week. Seventy-six per cent said that this is compulsory at their organisation. Of the mandated returns, 51 per cent were given set days from their employer.

While many employers see a negative side of remote and hybrid working, just 56 per cent of employees agree. However, 55 per cent of those who have not been forced back into the office are expecting it to happen at some point in the future.

Ms Forster Mitrovski continued: “The results from our study clearly show that a deep divide exists between employers and employees when it comes to remote working and its impact on career progression.”

“The data suggests that the majority of business leaders feel that working remotely or on a hybrid basis has a detrimental impact on their employees’ career prospects; however, nearly half of these people are not aware of this.”

To prepare for onsite working mandates, employers need to ensure they are providing staff with adequate workspaces. Providing staff with the tools they need to make the transition as smooth as possible will help streamline the process and reduce any drops in productivity during the change.

“Employees told us their main concerns around working in the office is the lack of privacy and focus space, and the impact that distractions have on their productivity. While in contrast, leaders believe commuting and the rigidity of a routine are the key factors preventing [or] discouraging their return,” Ms Forster Mitrovski explained.

“Despite the disconnect that we see in these findings, our research showed three-quarters of employees feel loyal to their company. There is an opportunity to encourage greater connectivity, collaboration and wellbeing in the workplace — a careful balance needs to be struck between enticing people back to the office, reducing workforce burnout and limiting office distractions.

“Office design and space optimisation can play a big role in finding this balance. Easy wins like improving access to natural light and providing spaces for employees to focus and recharge can help ease workplace disconnect and improve employee wellbeing.”

The disconnect between employee and employer was recognised throughout various parts of the business. Burnout was another issue that has witnessed a divide.

According to Unispace, 64 per cent of employees are often affected by burnout. The most common reasons for this were:

• High workloads (64 per cent)
• Spending too much time in the office (29 per cent)
• Employers expecting them to be online when working from home (23 per cent)

While employees are clearly suffering from burnout issues, the report said that 31 per cent of employers are not doing enough about it. Meanwhile, 72 per cent of business leaders believe hybrid working models are boosting wellbeing.