Swiss employees are ignoring calls to return to the workplace
London (ots/PRNewswire)
- 48% of Swiss employees are reluctant to return to the office with 73% of organisations firmly mandating returns
- More than a third (37%) of workers are ignoring the calls to return to the office according to employers
- 54% of employees struggle to effectively carry out their core job while in the workplace
Employees across Switzerland are ignoring office return mandates as the majority struggle to carry out their core job in the workplace, according to a new study by global workplace creation experts Unispace.
Returning for Good, a Unispace Global Workplace Insights report – which combined the results of an in-depth survey of 9,500 employees and 6,650 business leaders from 17 countries worldwide – found that nearly half (48%) of employees in Switzerland are reluctant to return to the office. Despite this, almost two in three (64%) of employees indicated that they expect to return to the office at least four days a week eventually, as driven by their employers.
The findings also showed that 37% of workers do not follow mandates to return to the workplace. This is perhaps driven by the sentiment that 54% of employees struggled to effectively complete their main work in the office as a result of distractions.
Accommodating the needs of employees
Despite the impact that distractions in the office are having on productivity, socialisation with peers was ranked as the top reason to go to the office by 41% of employees, along with the opportunity to collaborate with peers (29%).
Switzerland reported the lowest levels of burnout from employees (45%), equaled only by the Netherlands. Workload was cited as the main reason by 50% of employees who did experience it.
While technology played a role as a top element that workers value in the office – with 39% stating the most important feature is a strong internet connection and 37% a good tech set-up – Swiss employees also indicated that access to natural light (35%) was important to them.
Matthew Zych, Regional Director, Central Europe, at Unispace, commented:
"Employees in Switzerland have clearly not yet been given adequate reasons to return to the office by their employer. In many cases, they are even choosing to go against corporate mandates due to issues with their ability to carry out core aspects of their job in the workplace. This is perhaps possible because of the ongoing skills shortages which is putting the power in the hands of employees – indeed, recruitment firm Michael Page revealed that candidate availability will be a key challenge for Swiss employers in 2023. However, our study did also highlight that career progression opportunities will be limited for those working from home. This suggests that the attraction and retention challenges that employers are already facing will only increase unless the disconnect between employees and the office are addressed.
"Perhaps the most notable issue that employers need to be mindful of is the fact that so many employees struggle to carry out their core job in the office. This suggests that a large proportion of the workforce are not as efficient in the workplace as they could be – and it is the space itself that is likely to be influencing this. Although socialisation is a core benefit of heading into the office, with people being distracted by peers, there is a clear need to provide quiet spaces for employees to work from without distraction."
About Unispace
A strategy, design, and construction leader creating experiences for work for a rapidly changing world. Unispace is a global firm that offers a unified team solution for creating people-centric spaces with purpose - including offices, laboratories and life sciences facilities, campuses, HQ's, hospitality and sports venues and retail spaces that spark brilliance, deepen connections, foster a sense of belonging and propel success. With 5,500 projects completed, a presence across 26 countries, and 700+ employees worldwide, our goal is to create spaces that spark brilliance for the people who use them - powered by collaborative client partnerships, delivered seamlessly across borders, and enabled by real-world insights.
Unispace Contact
Ilana Como
Marketing & Communications Director
PR Contact | BlueSky PR
Head of PR
Vickie Collinge