SEATTLE — What would you give up to work remotely? That’s the question that researchers from Brown University, UCLA, and Harvard Business School posed to U.S. tech workers as part of a new study, and their answers might surprise you.
The study found that on average, tech workers would be willing to take a 25% pay cut for partly or fully remote roles.
The study surveyed nearly 1,400 workers with an average age of 32 and an average total compensation of $239,000.
Given workers’ strong preferences for remote work, the study explored the possibility that companies would offer less money for remote positions. However, researchers say they discovered the opposite.
According to researchers, “remote positions are, on average, paid 1.1% more than otherwise identical in-person positions.”
Remote workers are also likely saving money on their commute and parking.
Despite these preferences for remote work, more employers are calling workers back into the office.
“It’s difficult to manage someone who is working from home,” said Washington State University Associate Professor of Management Jeremy Beus. “It’s also difficult to track whether or not they’re being productive with their time and your resources.”
According to another new study by Pew Research Center, some remote workers are digging in their heels.
Nearly half of workers who work at least partially remotely say they would likely quit their jobs if their employer no longer allowed them to work from home.
“For an employee, you have a lot more flexibility in where and when you do your work,” said Beus.
Beus also noted that remote workers could find more affordable neighborhoods outside of city centers where their offices might be located.
While some of Seattle’s tech workers in South Lake Union told us they enjoyed working in the office, others told us they would be willing to take a pay cut to work from home.
“How much pay would you give up?” KIRO 7′s Madeline Ottilie asked one tech worker.
“20% less,” he said. “It gives flexibility, so I think it’s worth it.”
Amazon is one of the latest big tech companies to mandate workers return to the office five days each week.
“There’s a lot more collaboration with your peers,” said employee Johar, who is happy to be back. “PTO now is definitely a lot more valuable, since you know, if you need to stay home because you have a package coming, or there’s maintenance needed in your apartment, you can’t do that anymore.”
Beus doesn’t expect remote work to ever go away.
“It’s too useful of a thing to go away,” he said, adding that companies can use it to attract talent they otherwise would not be able to.
Still, the pendulum is shifting, he said.
“Probably settling into something that’s a little bit more manageable,” he said. “As companies kind of see, ‘Okay, well, we can’t do what we were doing, but maybe here’s a happy middle ground.’”