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More than half say returning to the office will hurt their mental health: Korn Ferry

April 26, 2023

As employers enforce the return-to-office mandate, 58% of workers say going back to the office will have a negative impact on their mental health, according to a survey by Korn Ferry. In addition, nearly two-thirds of professionals surveyed, 62%, said their employer is mandating a return to the office.

“What we’re finding is that while employers are increasingly requiring workers to return to the office, they are offering flexibility in not mandating being in the office full time,” said Flo Falayi, associate client partner at Korn Ferry. “There are some positive aspects to being face-to-face, and if employees are given the trust to operate in a hybrid environment, they will thrive.”

The report found that 72% of workers would take a lower salary if they could work from home. The top reason employees want to work remotely includes avoiding the hassle of getting ready and commuting to the office, cited by 61%. In addition, 84% of respondents said they are more productive working from home, and 92% said the boss is more interested in having workers return to the office than the workers themselves.

Of those who said employers are mandating a return to office, 38% noted they would be required to be in-office three days per week. Meanwhile, 42% of workers said the best part about returning is socializing with colleagues.

The Korn Ferry survey of professionals took place in late March.