One in three Australian organisations believe it’s fair to cut wages of remote and hybrid workers.

Poly today released new research which highlights the key benefits and pain points of remote and hybrid working for businesses. The research showed that despite 72 per cent of organisations seeing an increase in productivity because of hybrid working, 74 per cent believe that the increase in home working due to the pandemic has made fostering work culture harder than ever.

Poly’s report, Recruit, Retain and Grow, examines how prepared organisations are for the future of work – looking at everything from recruitment and retention to hybrid strategy, workforce, and wellness, through the lens of 2,528 global business decision makers, including 104 decision makers from Australia.

Key findings from Poly’s new research include:

• Recruitment and retention are at risk: Over half (56 per cent) of all organisations (53 per cent from Australia) believe that if they don’t address their hybrid work processes and plans, they’ll start to lose staff and will be unable to attract new talent. This was particularly pronounced in the APAC region (60 per cent), compared to 55 per cent in EMEA and 53 per cent in the Americas. Globally, organisations have already felt the effects of this, with 58 per cent seeing a greater turnover in staff since the start of the pandemic. Exiting employees disclosed that the top reasons for leaving are tied to their employer’s approach to hybrid work:
• Employees discovered better suited jobs (19 per cent)
• Employees did not get the desired flexibility of hybrid working (16 per cent)
• Employees were unhappy about the way employers handled COVID (9 per cent)

• Amongst Australian respondents, the key reasons employees left their roles were:
• They didn’t have enough work/life balance (18 per cent)
• They wanted more flexibility around anytime/hybrid/remote working (17 per cent)

• Strategy and equality are misaligned: Less than half (48 per cent) of all organisations (43 per cent in Australia) are fully prepared for agile working, while 37 per cent (38 per cent in Australia) are only prepared in the short-term. A further 52 per cent (49 per cent in Australia) think that hybrid work is a blip. Meanwhile, 24 per cent each of the Americas and APAC employers (20 per cent of Australian employers), and 17 per cent of EMEA employers are demanding that their employees return to the office full-time. Other prominent perspectives of employers are:
• Employees should be given right to request flexible working from day one (80 per cent) (74 per cent for Australia)
• Employees are being given rules on the number of days they are required to be in the office (84 per cent) (81 per cent for Australia)
• 38 per cent of organisations (34 per cent in Australia) think it’s fair to cut the wages of employees that opt to work remotely full-time or take a hybrid work approach, with a further 22 per cent (15 per cent in Australia) stating it’s fair to cut wages of remote workers, but not hybrid workers
• Employees are in offices sporadically, so downsizing spaces is the next step (22 per cent) (25 per cent in Australia)

• Culture and workforce wellness shortfall is causing productivity lags: 72 per cent of surveyed companies saw an increase in productivity because of the shift to hybrid work, with a global average increase of 27 per cent. However, 62 per cent, 61 per cent and 56 per cent of organisations in APAC, EMEA and Americas believe that if employees aren’t in the office, they won’t build the relationships they need to progress their career (however, this figure was far lower amongst Australian organisations at only 21 per cent). Other key concerns included:
• Employers worry there is an unhealthy culture of overworking (49 per cent) (51 per cent in Australia)
• Employers aren’t taking steps to prevent people feeling like they need to be always-on (49 per cent) (51 per cent in Australia)
• Employers are concerned that remote working has made fostering and retaining work culture harder than ever (74 per cent)

Equality, Experience and Evolution to Recruit, Retain and Grow

Poly’s research showed that with so many people now working from home, 65 per cent of organisations (62 per cent in Australia) believe the office is no longer the face of the company, but the technology and experience is. Expanding the quotient of spaces available rather than the definition as to whether the space is virtual, offsite, remote or hybrid, will help employers develop a robust hybrid work strategy.

• Equalise virtual experiences through meeting equality

Forward-looking companies are investing in software and devices equally with cloud applications and collaboration software at 92 per cent each, and headsets, cameras, and speakerphones at 89 per cent, 86 per cent and 83 per cent, respectively (85 per cent, 86 per cent, and 84 per cent, respectively, for Australia).

• Equalise office experiences through redesign

77 per cent of companies (68 per cent in Australia) are redesigning their office with more open plan areas, collaboration spaces, quiet zones, and areas to socialise.

“At Poly, we believe that being able to provide hybrid working option is not the endgame, but a starting point for the competitive organisations of today, and our research validates our point of view,” said Bill Zeng, Senior Director, APAC, Poly.

“Employees are voting with their feet in favour of companies that support workspaces with an effective organisational culture for people, and a robust technology enablement approach. Businesses must put an emphasis on achieving work equality – ensuring that those who wish to work away from the central office are not penalised with an inferior experience; and this includes receiving equal remuneration. More than just technology – people and spaces are also critical for any business strategy. This could be the difference between success and failure.”

Tags: AustraliaTechnology