Working from home: WFH employees fear being looked down upon and missing out on promotions
New office policies have divided workers since the pandemic, with researchers finding a divide between those working from home and colleagues sitting at their desks.
Employees still working remotely believe they will be looked down upon by those who have returned to the office and may even miss out on promotions, according to research from McCrindle.
While 70 percent of Australian workers feel their bosses recognize and appreciate their commute efforts, 67 percent of hybrid workers have a ‘sneak suspicion’ that on-site staff are being given better opportunities.
Since the pandemic, a new type of office politics has emerged that divides workers: the divide between those who work from home and their colleagues in the office. Pictured: McCrindle staff with each other during an office meeting
About 67 percent of hybrid workers have a ‘sneak suspicion’ that on-site staff will have better opportunities. In the photo: a worried-looking woman working from home
About half of those who go to the office and 54 percent of remote workers believe that those who are physically in their department instead of at home can get a career boost.
Overall, 59 percent of all employees believe that people in the office will benefit more than remote workers because of where they do their work. The advertiser reported this.
That can be linked to the amount of work done in home offices versus corporate offices.
McCrindle’s research found that two-thirds of employees surveyed (67 percent) admitted they were more productive in the office than at home.
Mark McCrindle coined the term ‘superiofficey’, a kind of superiority over WFH staff, to describe this.
Ms McCrindle said a social divide had also emerged between staff at home and on site.
“It’s clear… workers are creating a social divide between those who work from home and those who commute,” he said.
Many employees now want to return to the office because of the social benefits, he says.
“It’s clear… workers are creating a social divide between those who work from home and those who commute,” he said.
This has led to ‘videoconferencing FOMO’, a fear of missing out on what’s happening in the workplace among hybrid and remote workers.
The survey results come less than a week after a global survey found Australian bosses say they are willing to cut wages and benefits for staff who choose to work from home.
About 37 percent of senior executives announced plans to differentiate between remote and in-office employee pay over the next three to five years.
The shocking revelation was made in a global investigation conducted by law firm Herbert Smith Freehills.
Many employees are returning to office work to bridge the social gap that has emerged between WFH and on-site employees. Pictured: McCrindle boss Mark McCrindle cutting a cake on his birthday
READ MORE: Bonuses for Australian staff who show up at the office
One in five professionals in Australia who work from home could be deprived of bonuses and promotions if companies start rewarding those who come into the office.
One in five professionals in Australia who work from home could be deprived of bonuses and promotions if companies start rewarding those who come into the office (pictured is a stock photo)