Research results after two years of working in times of Corona

Whereas many employers pre-2020 were still reluctant to allow place- and time-independent work, telecommuting has now become highly normalized. Indeed - it has often become an acquired right. As many as six in ten employees expect more flexibility from their employer on when and where they work than before the pandemic. One in two now also expect more understanding from their employer when they are having problems in their private situation, or when the employee is struggling with their mental well-being.

So does this flexibility also apply in the other direction? The numbers seem to suggest otherwise. Only 13% of workers report that their willingness to be available for work after hours has increased since Corona. In particular, those in their thirties and forties no longer want to be contacted after hours - this willingness is higher for those in their twenties. People in their twenties are also more open to being present in the office, but set their limits in other areas and, in turn, are less eager than other age groups to work fixed hours.

Are there no more sacred houses then? It's not as simple as that. Vangronsvelt: "Our research shows that one in three still finds it difficult to raise mental well-being with the employer." And that's a problem, because if anything has been under heavy pressure over the past two years, it's mental well-being. Vangronsvelt: "Perhaps this is also an important reason why employees expect more flexibility from the employer and at the same time are less willing to do this themselves - the cake has been cut out after two years of Covid." The results also show that of all age groups, those in their twenties have the most difficulty talking about work pressure within the organization (36% of them find this difficult vs. 28% across all employees).

The proportion of people looking for another job remains the same as in 2021 (about 25%). However, 1 in 4 employees also indicate that they are less willing to be loyal to their employer than before the pandemic and say, for example, that they are now looking out for other jobs. A sign that the Great Resignation is also coming to our country?

How do we explain that difference between age groups? "Onboarding in times of a lot of telecommuting, is not easy for anyone. But for young employees it is an extra challenge, they have more difficulties to work independently than someone with more work experience. So the amount of telecommuting can actually be a barrier for younger workers to change jobs." As for the rise among the middle group, Vangronsvelt looks for the explanation rather in waiting for the right moment: "People in their thirties, forties and fifties may have let the cat out of the tree during the economically uncertain COVID period and now feel that there are opportunities. So we still don't see a great resignation happening here, but we do see a remarkable trend".

In addition, De Vos points to another reason why young people are less looking for another job, and thirtiers, fortiers and fiftiers more now: the different experiences with social contact with colleagues and the atmosphere in the workplace. Let those be the very things that have been under severe pressure for the past 2 years. "At The Great Resignation, turnover is really just the tip of the iceberg, too. Underneath is a general sentiment of alienation and a sense of 'enough is enough.'" This is reflected not only in the imbalance between flexibility expected from the employer and what employees themselves are willing to give, but also in increased turnover. "And those processes play stronger for employees who can compare to how things used to be, than for younger people who don't have that history yet. Early in your career, you are brought up in what work actually is and what normal is - so 'the new normal' for young workers is just normal - the only thing they have known."