Are female IT workers more susceptible to WFH negative effects?

One recent global study showed a 7:3 ratio in female-to-male sentiments about the less desirable attributes of working from anywhere.

In a recent survey of 4,510 office workers and 1,609 IT professionals in the US, UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Brussels, Spain, Sweden and Australia regarding sentiments about remote-working, fewer respondents indicated the preference to work remote on a permanent basis, while more female IT workers indicated experiencing negative remote-working effects compared to their male counterparts.

Overall, the survey results show that workers now have more options than ever before to work across geographical boundaries and for anyone, and employers will have to shift their retention tactics to make their workers’ jobs easier and more enjoyable.

Some key findings in the sample populations include:

• 71% of respondents indicated they would prefer to work from anywhere than get a promotion.
• 70% of female IT workers in the survey reported experiencing negative effects from remote work, versus 30% of male respondents in the same group.
• 9% of respondents were feeling the effects of losing personal connection with coworkers; 6% expected to work longer hours than when in the office.
• 56% of female respondents indicated that remote-working had affected their mental health negatively, compared to 44% of men.
• 52% of women reported having lost personal connection with coworkers, compared to 47% of men.
• 42% of respondents preferred a hybrid model of work: a 5% increase since a previous study.
• 30% of respondents said they would prefer to work from home permanently: a 20% decrease since a previous study.
• Respondents indicated that the top three benefits they realized since working remotely were time savings due to less commuting (48%), better work/life balance (43%) and a more flexible work schedule (43%).
• 49% of respondents indicated they had been negatively affected in some way by remote work. Among the top concerns were lack of interaction with colleagues (51%), not being able to collaborate or communicate effectively (28%) and WFH noise and distractions (27%).
• 15% of respondents indicated they would prefer to work from anywhere: an 87% increase since a previous study. 13% of respondents indicated they would like to work permanently in the office: an 11% decrease since a previous study.
• 22% of respondents said they became digital nomads during the pandemic, with 18% considering becoming one.
• 24% of respondents had left their job in the past year during the ‘The Great Resignation’ while 28% of respondents were considering leaving in the next six months.
• In respondents between the ages of 25 and 34, the percentage of respondents planning to leave their job in the next six months was 36%: 24% stated that they would quit their job if their employer enforced a full-time return to the office policy.
• 26% of respondents hoped IT will provide new hardware such as laptops, desktops and mobile devices in 2022, and 26% hope IT will modernize the service desk.
• 32% of IT professionals in the survey indicated the desire to modernize the service desk as call volumes to service desks have risen during the pandemic, possibly resulting in higher operating costs and reduced productivity and job satisfaction.

According to Jeff Abbott, CEO of Ivanti which commissioned the study: “The good news is that by increasing automation of common or mundane tasks, companies can improve work-life balance for IT and security teams, plus prevent data breaches and most importantly improve employee experiences. Amidst the fierce war on talent, it’s more important than ever before to build a winning, diverse and inclusive culture where every individual is highly respected and a company’s mission and core values are demonstrated at every level.”

Abbott said people in the survey wanted to work for companies that are making a difference and employees are increasingly leaving their jobs if they do not believe in the vision and mission. Employers need to show they are delivering global value and not just profits, while also prioritizing work/life balance.