<p>An April 2021 survey by FlexJobs found that <strong>60% of women and 52% of men would quit if they weren’t allowed to continue working remotely at least part of the time</strong>. </p>
<p>Sixty-nine percent of men and 80% of women said that remote work options are among their top considerations when looking for a new job.</p>

Employees don't want remote work to end

<p>The “official” reasons that people don’t want to head back to the workplace are well-documented. <em>They’re more productive. It’s easier to blend work and life when your commute is a walk down the hallway.</em></p>
<p>But, for some, the reasons are <strong>more personal and difficult to share.</strong> <em>Who will walk the dog they adopted during the pandemic? They gained weight and need to buy new work clothes. The thought of being trapped in a cubicle all day makes them want to cry.</em></p>

Why people don't want to work in offices

<h2>Sure, they have more time and productivity is up. But there are also deeply personal reasons employees don’t want to go back to work as it was. 
</h2><figure><picture><source media="(max-width: 40em)"><img width="705" height="396" alt="The unspoken reasons employees don’t want remote work to end" srcset="https://images.fastcompany.net/image/upload/w_562, https://www.fastcompany.com/90655710/ar_16:9, https://www.fastcompany.com/90655710/c_fill, https://www.fastcompany.com/90655710/g_auto, https://www.fastcompany.com/90655710/f_auto, https://www.fastcompany.com/90655710/q_auto, https://www.fastcompany.com/90655710/fl_lossy/wp-cms/uploads/2021/07/p-1-the-unspoken-reasons-employees-donand8217t-want-to-end-remote-work.jpg 562w, https://images.fastcompany.net/image/upload/w_937, https://www.fastcompany.com/90655710/ar_16:9, https://www.fastcompany.com/90655710/c_fill, https://www.fastcompany.com/90655710/g_auto, https://www.fastcompany.com/90655710/f_auto, https://www.fastcompany.com/90655710/q_auto, https://www.fastcompany.com/90655710/fl_lossy/wp-cms/uploads/2021/07/p-1-the-unspoken-reasons-employees-donand8217t-want-to-end-remote-work.jpg 937w, https://images.fastcompany.net/image/upload/w_1153, https://www.fastcompany.com/90655710/ar_16:9, https://www.fastcompany.com/90655710/c_fill, https://www.fastcompany.com/90655710/g_auto, https://www.fastcompany.com/90655710/f_auto, https://www.fastcompany.com/90655710/q_auto, https://www.fastcompany.com/90655710/fl_lossy/wp-cms/uploads/2021/07/p-1-the-unspoken-reasons-employees-donand8217t-want-to-end-remote-work.jpg 1153w"></picture></figure><div class="caption">[Source photo: Solovyova/iStock]
</div><p dir="ltr">It’s no secret that employee-employer tensions about heading back to the workplace are growing. As more employers push to get employees back in-house, the workers themselves are taking a harder stand. An April 2021 survey by FlexJobs found that <a href="https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/men-women-experience-remote-work-survey/" rel="noopener noreferrer" dir="ltr">60% of women and 52% of men would quit</a> if they weren’t allowed to continue working remotely at least part of the time. Sixty-nine percent of men and 80% of women said that remote work options are among their top considerations when looking for a new job.</p><div>advertisement</div><p>The “official” reasons that they don’t want to head back to the workplace are well-documented. They’re more productive. It’s easier to blend work and life when your commute is a walk down the hallway. But, for some, the reasons are more personal and difficult to share. Who will walk the dog they adopted during the pandemic? They gained weight and need to buy new work clothes. The thought of being trapped in a cubicle all day makes them want to cry.</p><p dir="ltr">We spoke with several people who shared their very personal reasons why they don’t want to return to work. (Because of the sensitive nature of some of the comments, <em dir="ltr">Fast Company</em> has allowed some of the individuals to use a pseudonym to protect their identities.)</p><h2>‘I need to nap during the day’</h2><p>Since 2013, when a backpacking incident caused a spine injury that required two surgeries, Lynn (not her real name) has been dealing with chronic pain and sleep issues. As a result, she’s often tired during the day and realized she wasn’t at her best, especially after lunch, when fatigue would often set in.</p><div>advertisement</div><p dir="ltr">“When I’m in meetings, and people throw questions to me, I can’t really answer instantly [or I] say the wrong things,” she says. She didn’t feel comfortable talking to her boss or colleagues about the issues she was facing and was dealing with anxiety, depression, and hair loss in recent years as a result of her sleep issues. But, during the pandemic, she’s been able to adjust her schedule so she can <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90555661/im-a-ceo-and-nap-during-every-workday-heres-why-you-should-too" rel="noopener noreferrer" dir="ltr">take a nap</a> during her lunch hour and rest periodically when she needs to do so. (Research tells us that <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/3017356/the-revealing-science-behind-what-naps-do-to-your-brain-and-why-you-should-have-o" rel="noopener noreferrer" dir="ltr">naps are good</a> for our brains.)</p><p>Since she’s been working from home, her productivity has soared—and her supervisor has noticed and begun complimenting her on her work. She feels sharper and healthier. Her biggest concern right now, she says, is that she will have to give up the balance she has finally found.</p><h2>‘I’d give up my raise for remote work’</h2><p>Melvin Gonzalez, a certified public accountant (CPA) for Inc and Go, an online business formation website, is facing a dilemma. “I love my career, love my job, and have amazing benefits which include a lifelong pension—something very rare in today’s labor force,” he says. “However, as with everything in life, there is a price to pay: my commute,” he says. Gonzalez travels two hours each way, which adds up to more than 20 hours per week just getting to and from work.</p><div>advertisement</div><p>Gonzalez said he never really considered how much time he was spending on commuting until he worked from home during the pandemic, He used the extra time—the equivalent of a part-time job—to go to the gym, spend time with his wife and children, and still get his work done.</p><p>Now that he’s facing heading back to the office, he’s not ready to give up that time. He and his colleagues have shared their concerns with their employer, but he doesn’t think remote work will continue to be an option. He says he’s even willing to give up a raise to keep his flexibility. “This has certainly become my main concern about going back to the office,” he says. “I believe my mood for work will not be the same.”</p><figure><picture><img alt="Fast Company announces details of seventh annual innovation festival" src="https://images.fastcompany.net/image/upload/wp-cms/uploads/2021/07/poster-fast-company-innovation-festival-annoucement-2021.jpg"></picture></figure>

Sure, they have more time and productivity is up. But there are also deeply personal reasons employees don’t want to go back to work as it was. 


remotework

Remote Work

career

Career

corporateculture

Corporate Culture

Sure, they have more time and productivity is up. But there are also deeply personal reasons employees don’t want to go back to work as it was.

<p>It’s no secret that employee-employer tensions about heading back to the workplace are growing. As more employers push to get employees back in-house, the workers themselves are taking a harder stand. An April 2021 survey by FlexJobs found that <a href="https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/men-women-experience-remote-work-survey/">60% of women and 52% of men would quit </a>if they weren’t allowed to continue working remotely at least part of the time. Sixty-nine percent of men and 80% of women said that remote work options are among their top considerations when looking for a new job. </p>

<p>The “official” reasons that they don’t want to head back to the workplace are well-documented. They’re more productive. It’s easier to blend work and life when your commute is a walk down the hallway. But, for some, the reasons are more personal and difficult to share. Who will walk the dog they adopted during the pandemic? They gained weight and need to buy new work clothes. The thought of being trapped in a cubicle all day makes them want to cry. </p>

<p>We spoke with several people who shared their very personal reasons why they don’t want to return to work. (Because of the sensitive nature of some of the comments, <em>Fast Company </em>has allowed some of the individuals to use a pseudonym to protect their identities.) </p>

<p>Since 2013, when a backpacking incident caused a spine injury that required two surgeries, Lynn (not her real name) has been dealing with chronic pain and sleep issues. As a result, she’s often tired during the day and realized she wasn’t at her best, especially after lunch, when fatigue would often set in. </p>

<p>“When I’m in meetings, and people throw questions to me, I can’t really answer instantly [or I] say the wrong things,” she says. She didn’t feel comfortable talking to her boss or colleagues about the issues she was facing and was dealing with anxiety, depression, and hair loss in recent years as a result of her sleep issues. But, during the pandemic, she’s been able to adjust her schedule so she can <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90555661/im-a-ceo-and-nap-during-every-workday-heres-why-you-should-too">take a nap </a>during her lunch hour and rest periodically when she needs to do so. (Research tells us that <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/3017356/the-revealing-science-behind-what-naps-do-to-your-brain-and-why-you-should-have-o">naps are good </a>for our brains.) </p>

<p>Since she’s been working from home, her productivity has soared—and her supervisor has noticed and begun complimenting her on her work. She feels sharper and healthier. Her biggest concern right now, she says, is that she will have to give up the balance she has finally found. </p>

‘I’d give up my raise for remote work’

<p>Melvin Gonzalez, a certified public accountant (CPA) for Inc and Go, an online business formation website, is facing a dilemma. “I love my career, love my job, and have amazing benefits which include a lifelong pension—something very rare in today’s labor force,” he says. “However, as with everything in life, there is a price to pay: my commute,” he says. Gonzalez travels two hours each way, which adds up to more than 20 hours per week just getting to and from work. </p>

<p>Gonzalez said he never really considered how much time he was spending on commuting until he worked from home during the pandemic, He used the extra time—the equivalent of a part-time job—to go to the gym, spend time with his wife and children, and still get his work done. </p>

<p>Now that he’s facing heading back to the office, he’s not ready to give up that time. He and his colleagues have shared their concerns with their employer, but he doesn’t think remote work will continue to be an option. He says he’s even willing to give up a raise to keep his flexibility. “This has certainly become my main concern about going back to the office,” he says. “I believe my mood for work will not be the same.” </p>

The unspoken reasons employees don’t want remote work to end

Employees don't want remote work to end

Why people don't want to work in offices

CURATED BY

Related collections

More like this