One-Fourth of New Jersey Workers Never Going Back to the Office: FDU Poll

[Klaralven]

The coronavirus pandemic has prompted what seems to be a permanent change in work life practices for at least a quarter of New Jerseyans, according to newly released survey results from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Half of New Jersey workers began teleworking during the pandemic, according to the Madison-based university’s poll of Garden State voters. Even though most New Jersey adults are now vaccinated against COVID-19, only 27% of workers who started working from home say that they’ve started going back to the office full-time and 26% of those now working from home say they don’t think they’ll ever be back in their workplace.

This fundamental change in work habits will have a big effect on transit, government, and budgets in New Jersey, according to Dan Cassino, a government and politics professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University who led the research.

https://north-jerseynews.com/2021/06/29/one-fourth-of-new-jersey-workers-never-going-back-to-the-office-fdu-poll/

Hopefully they will pay all their taxes to NJ and not to NY and NYC.

[Sherman A1]

1. I'm surprised that the number is that low.

I would have thought it closer to 50%.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

2. Employers probably have some input into the decision.

Some will demand employees work "at work". It can't be easy to manage projects or people remotely.

[Sherman A1]

3. Employers also have to justify

The office real estate on the balance sheet, but I see a lot of pushback from employees both now and in the future.

[Amishman]

4. It's not difficult for a competent manager

Trust your people to get their work done, keep expectations challenging but achievable, and be in touch frequently to check in and also so the manager can remove obstacles.

If a manager can't tell if an employee is being productive or can't bring themselves to take corrective action with those that aren't, they probably shouldn't be a manager.

Remote work works. Employers simply are not believable when they tell a workforce that employees need come back in the office, when those employees successfully worked remotely during the pandemic.

Shitty micro managers want their control back to justify their existence, or to make up for their own inadequacies.

Sherman A1 is right about the pushback. My employer mandated everyone who had been remote now has to be in the office at least 50% of the time, citing preservation of 'company culture'. IT department revolted, and a number of people threatened to give notice or actually did. IT management made an announcement that they would not be dictating schedules or tracking what days each person is in the office - effectively nullifying the policy.

[uponit7771]

6. +1, remote work makes managers step up to do minimum expectations setting

[Renew Deal]

5. It's going to be lower once companies begin enforcing return to the office.