Balance between professional and personal life, resilience and mental health are at the forefront for employees who expect clarity about the future from employers, according to a new report.
Companies around the world are appreciating policies and the way they work, as the pandemic shattered traditional work habits.
According to a McKinsey & Company report, employees want companies to pay more attention to the importance of resilience, competitive pay and well-being when the pandemic ends. They have expressed some concerns about the fact that their wishes and needs may not coincide with those of employers.
4 issues that have emerged from studies for the future of work:
1. Balance professional life – personal life
More than half of the employees stated that they want more flexible and hybrid virtual work models, where employees work sometimes from the office and sometimes remotely – writes the McKinsey report.
“The hybrid model can help companies make better use of talent wherever it is located.” – emphasizes the report. At the same time “it can reduce costs and improve the performance of the company”.
2. Elasticity
In this hybrid model, most employees want to work from home three days a week, according to McKinsey data. They are even ready to leave the job if the conditions are not met. More than a quarter of respondents said they would consider changing jobs if their companies were to return and work full-time in the office.
3. Clear vision
Effective and transparent policies and their clear communication was also important, with many interviewees claiming that lack of clarity made them feel anxious. More than a third of respondents listed working hours and expectations for collaborating among the top five policies. Even the means to collaborate and reimburse remote office equipment were highly valued.
4. Mental health, in focus
Well-being is important to many employees, with more than three-quarters of respondents in a survey by Arizona State University, the World Economic Forum and the Rockefeller Foundation saying that employees’ mental health is now an absolute priority.
“Employers seem to be responding, with more than half reporting an increase in the use of company resources for mental health,” writes the McKinsey study.
“It is known that anxiety reduces productivity at work, reduces satisfaction and negatively affects interpersonal relationships with colleagues and other negative consequences. “For the global economy, the loss of productivity due to poor mental health – including anxiety – can reach $ 1 trillion a year,” McKinsey’s study wrote.