A new survey in Australia found older generations, retirees most supportive of return to office

Photo by Patrick McLachlan

A recent survey in Australia found that older generations, including retirees, were the most supportive of workers returning to the office full time.

The survey asked 1,870 people about working from home and found: “35 per cent said they would prefer to work from the office five days a week, 31 per cent believe one to two days working from home is optimal, 22 per cent prefer working three to four days from home and 12 per cent believe WFH full-time is the best set-up.”

Interestingly, 45% of the people surveyed who supported a full five days in the office were retired.

The generational gap was evident: 56% of people over age 75, and 42% of Baby Boomers, supported only in-office work. However, only 29% of Millennials and 23% of Gen Z agreed.

This matches the results of a recent Pew survey.

In an article detailing the results of this survey, Employment Hero HR head Liam D’Ortenzio explained this differing viewpoint between generations:

“Older generations began their careers in an era where in-office presence was synonymous with productivity, collaboration, and visibility. On the other hand, younger generations have entered the workforce during or after the digital transformation, where remote work has proven not only feasible but often more efficient.”

It will be interesting to see how remote work is viewed going forward, as older generations less inclined to it age out of the workforce and are replaced by younger generations of workers. Most likely, it will gain more support and acceptance as the workforce changes.

Ultimately, whether some people like it or not, remote work is here to stay. Some already understand this, and are implementing it and adapting as they prepare for the future.