As the great tug of war between employers and workers continues, Aussies say they are willing to give up their “fundamental right” to work from home – if their boss will sweeten the deal.

More than half of Australian white-collar workers view their ability to work from home either part-time or full-time as a fundamental right, research by talent company Randstad found.

Many employers from private and public sectors disagree, proved by constant reports of inflexible return-to-office mandates from the likes of the New South Wales government to Tabcorp.

The mandates have been met by backlash from workers, and Randstad found if faced with mandated office returns, 24 per cent of office workers would actively search for hybrid roles and 6 per cent were prepared to resign even without another job lined up.

Incentives crucial

But employers could face less resistance if they focused on incentives rather than force. 

“After four years of remote and hybrid work, office workers feel they have earned the right to work from home and many have made life choices, such as buying a pet or relocating further away from the office based on the assumption that this flexibility was here to stay,” Randstad Australia executive general manager Angela Anasis said.

“It’s no surprise therefore that they’re concerned about this right being stripped away without proper justification. 

“Given people are prepared to walk away from a job if they’re forced back into the office, employers should carefully consider how to incentivise attendance, focusing on the carrot rather than the stick.”

A pay rise was a common desire among workers surveyed by Randstad, but 79 per cent said they could be swayed by perks instead.

Other options

Free transport to work and free parking ranked equally with free lunches as the top asks from workers, followed by perks such as free gym memberships.

These requests could cost employers $4034 per employee per year, according to Randstad’s estimates considering two free lunches ($15), two free transport ($20 a day) and the cost of an average yearly gym membership ($744).

But the talent company said that figure was just a fraction of the average replacement cost per employee of $21,450 – or up to $97,500 when indirect factors such as lost productivity and knowledge depletion were taken into account.

Forced office returns could mean both sides lose

TND previously spoke with a NSW-based worker who was forced back into the office six months after negotiating a hybrid arrangement with her employer which had allowed her to pay cheaper rent and enjoy better work-life balance with her young family.

The resulting three-hour commute to and from the office, four days a week, left her burnt out, unhappy and looking elsewhere for work.

HR platform Employment Hero CEO Ben Thompson previously told TND management wanted workers back in the office because they were untrained in dealing with a remote workforce.

But he said forcing people back into the office on a full-time basis costs workers thousands of dollars annually on expenses like transport and housing close to the workplace.

It could also exclude people unable to work in office due to disabilities, caring responsibilities, or desire to live in other areas; a loss for both workers facing unemployment and employers limiting their talent pool.