Harvard Study Finds Most Workers Would Rather Continue Working From Home

The pandemic changed several factors of everyday life, and one positive change was the new option for many to perform their job duties at home. By the same token, however, some weren't exactly smitten with the idea of having to stay away from their desks and colleagues.

But as we slowly pivot toward the idea of "business as usual," a Harvard study reveals that many professionals don't want to go back to the office full time. Instead, they want the option to keep the status quo, even when it's safe to return to the office.

Related: 50 Work-From-Home Jobs Paying as Much or a Lot More Than the Average American Salary

The study, which surveyed around 1,500 professionals working remotely over the past year, found that 81% either don't want to fully return to the office or would prefer a type of "hybrid" schedule going forward, where they'd have a mixture of home and office shifts. Further, 61% of those surveyed would like to work two or three days from home, while 27% want to continue working remotely full-time. Just 18% of respondents wished to return to full-time office work.

What's more, one in three people found that both their performance and quality of work had improved since the prior year, and they were able to focus better while working at home. For one in two workers, collaboration with colleagues, seeking support from co-workers, and trust in overall leadership did not change.

While there are still many workers who responded that they didn't particularly want to go back to the office, the survey trended toward an overall positive outlook for remote work and those who have been adapting to it since COVID-19 changed the way we live, work, and interact.