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That ' s not to say there aren ' t challenges . Many employees are battling for a home office space ( 23 %), constant interruptions ( 43 %), slow internet connections , isolation , a house in disarray and a seemingly endless workday . Just 27 % find it hard to balance work and family responsibilities , nearly half report spending too little time with their children under 18 and 40 % indicate that they spend too little time with their spouse . Some remote workers also feel disconnected from their colleagues ( 30 %).

However , these challenges don ' t outweigh the benefits , it just took some time getting into the routine of remote work .

Two years into the pandemic , 44 % indicate that working from home has made it easier for them to get work done and meet deadlines , only 10 % say this has been more difficult . And 64 % of those who transitioned to a remote or hybrid work arrangement say it ' s easier now for them to balance work with their personal life .

More remote employees indicated that they were highly engaged ( 22 %) compared to hybrid or in-person and more in-person employees indicated that they were on the lower end of the engagement scale . Industries with above-average high engagement include banking , finance , accounting , real estate and insurance ( 38 %), followed by professional , scientific and technical services ( 34 %).

What does this mean for employers ?

IBI spoke to corporate health benefits professionals in a 60-minute focus group discussion , and common themes emerged . Discussants recommended :

Train managers and supervisors : The people closest to the employees must be trained to recognise indicators of burnout and how to point them to resources that may help . This may be more difficult to identify in a hybrid / remote environment , so it is especially important to provide specific training for leadership to watch and act to protect their teams from these struggles .

Provide flexibility to employees : Most employees have a preference for where and when they want to work . One of the things that employers can do to help mitigate burnout is to give employees as much schedule and location flexibility as possible . According to Pew Research Center , 45 % of people surveyed say they left their job because of a lack of flexibility .

Respect employees ' boundaries : Regard for healthy boundaries should be baked into the culture . Employees need to be able to disconnect outside of working hours guilt-free . Encourage ‘ no-work ’ vacation days .

Be aware of workloads : Managers should always be aware of workloads , especially if staffing has been reduced . Again , if there are signs of burnout , be proactive before the employee experiences negative health consequences .

Don ' t disincentivise employee loyalty : In many cases , employees who stay with the company longer , are paid less than new employees . Optimise your compensation strategy by keeping salaries competitive . �

45 % OF PEOPLE SURVEYED SAY THEY LEFT THEIR JOB BECAUSE OF A LACK OF FLEXIBILITY .