Two years since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, employees say work and family are the areas of life that have shown the most change for the better. Despite the devastation and tragedy many have suffered over the course of the pandemic, remote and flexible work options have brought benefits to families.
Sixty-eight percent of employees say they have grown closer to family members over the past two years, and 89 percent of remote workers with children say their kids are happier when they are working from home, according to new research from Qualtrics. See full study results here.
Even pets have seen life improve. Nearly all (95 percent) of remote workers with pets say their pets are happier when they are working from home.
Employees are better off when it comes to work as well, with flexible work, remote work and hybrid work being the most favorable changes. Nearly half (43 percent) of U.S. employees say their work-life balance is better now than it was pre-pandemic. Employees also report better job satisfaction, career progress, finances and overall happiness.
Mental health, however, is the one area where employees are split — 31 percent say they are better off, and 31 percent say they are worse off than they were two years ago.
As employee needs and priorities have shifted during the pandemic, nearly half (47 percent) have changed jobs, including 15 percent who changed industries in the past two years. The top reasons employees gave for seeking a new job were:
- They wanted a more flexible schedule (16 percent)
- They wanted more growth opportunities (14 percent)
- They wanted to work remotely (11.5 percent).
These reasons beat out higher pay (10.5 percent)
To learn more, visit qualtrics.com.
