Microsoft survey confirms post-pandemic, more workers prioritising health & wellness

According to a new study by Microsoft, 53 per cent of employees are more likely to prioritise their health and well-being over work than they were before the pandemic.

Additionally, 62 per cent of Generation Z and millennial workers are likely to consider changing employers in the year ahead, up three per cent year on year.

Microsoft’s 2022 Work Trend Index outlined five urgent trends from an external study of 31,000 in 31 countries along with an analysis of trillions of productivity signals in Microsoft 365 and work trends on LinkedIn.

The survey also highlighted the need for leaders to make the office worth commuting to.

This was collaborated by 38 per cent of hybrid employees who said that their biggest challenge is knowing hone and why to come into the office alongside the fact that only 28 per cent of leaders have created team agreements to define these new norms.

Flexible work also meant more work. After two years, weekly meeting time for the average Teams user is up 252 per cent, and chats sent per person each week is up 32 per cent — and still climbing.

While workday span has increased by 46 minutes, after-hours and weekend work are up 28 per cent and 14 per cent, respectively.

With 51 per cent of hybrid workers considering a shift to full remote work in the year ahead, companies cannot rely solely on the office to recoup the social capital we’ve lost over the past two years.

A total of 43 per cent of leaders say relationship-building is the greatest challenge of having employees work in a hybrid or remote environment.

Commenting on the results, Jared Spataro, corporate vice president, Modern Work, Microsoft stated, “The last two years have been profoundly impactful and values such as flexibility and well-being have become non-negotiables for most employees.

“Making hybrid work work for everyone will therefore require intentional leadership around how, when, and where to work, and technology has a key role to play. By embracing and adapting to these new expectations, organizations can set their people and their business up for long-term success.”