Americans willing to take pay cut to avoid return to the office, survey says

Nearly half of 1,000 respondents willing to give quarter of days off to work from home

Half of 200 companies surveyed said they have been spending more since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, recognising the strain on their employees (PA)

Americans are willing to take a pay cut in varying degrees to avoid returning to the office after working from home amid the pandemic, a survey has said.

A survey of 1,000 Americans commissioned by Breeze, an insurance company, revealed that 65 per cent of American remote workers would take a five per cent cut.

The online survey showed that while a large number of people would be unlikely to give up more than five per cent.

However, it maintained that 24 per cent would still take a 15 per cent pay cut and 15 per cent would be willing to give up a quarter of their current salary.

Companies have been using a number of incentives to spur workers to get back into the office such as prizes, free lunch, child care and wellbeing benefits.

However, certain sectors are keen to encourage workers to give up remote working, despite the rise of the more transmissible delta variant across the US.

The chief executive of Morgan Stanley said in June that the company would be expecting its employees to return to the office by Labor day, suggesting that those who have moved out of state could expect a pay cut.

“A more nuanced communication is necessary,” James Gorman said, before adding: “But, make no mistake about it – we do our work inside Morgan Stanley offices.”

On the other hand, Google made waves in the WFH debate after approving 85 per cent of employee requests to work remotely or relocate once its offices fully re-open.

Working remotely offers a host of benefits for many workers such as savings on travel expenses and time on commuting. The ability to work remotely full time also makes jobs accessible for those with disabilities.

Many feel that working from the office provides settings for employees to socialise and collaborate and that the loss of in-person spaces could be detrimental for the inclusion of young employees.

The online survey commissioned by Breeze was conducted by the polling firm Pollfish between 20 July and 21 July with people who are “employed or looking for work at a job that can be completed entirely remotely.”

Nearly half of people surveyed (46 per cent) said they would be willing to give up a quarter of their days off to work from home.

With the question put another way, 52 per cent said they would give up Amazon for the next year while 55 per cent would give up social media for the next year.