Young Aussies reveal why they won’t return to offices full-time

The working from home debate only seems to be revving up and the younger generation have revealed why they won’t return to offices full time.

Young Aussies workers still don’t want to return to the office full-time even though it is driving some bosses crazy — and their reasoning isn’t what you’d expect.

The working-from-home debate has been raging since non-essential workers were forced to work from home during the pandemic. Since lockdowns ended, companies have been battling to get their young workers back into the office. They’ve found it pretty tough.

The University of Melbourne conducted a survey that found that 70 per cent of Aussies who worked from home because of Covid-19 would like to continue doing so. Employment Hero’s latest Remote Work Report found that 78 per cent of Aussies found working from home helped reduce the cost of living.

Inflation is at 7 per cent, the cash rate has hit 3.8 per cent, and the rental crisis is in full swing. This, combined with Australia’s stagnant wage growth, is a recipe for all Aussies to feel the cost of living pinch. But is it just money keeping young Aussies out of the office?

Sam DeGuara, who is the founder of a workplace consulting company, said: “The younger generation prefers a work-life integration as opposed to work-life separation to allow for flexibility and autonomy in how the day is structured to spend on self-care, social connection and hobbies”.

Young people tend to work differently. Source: Istock

DeGuara points out that office culture is only sometimes seen as relevant to a younger generation.

“The traditional office ‘culture’ is quite rigid with a fixed schedule and physical environment requirements limiting the freedom, flexibility and autonomy craved by younger generations. Meaningful and purposeful work is valued over compensation and often cultures that promote rigid hierarchies, bureaucracy and mundane tasks don’t align to the values, aspirations and preferences of young professional remote workers.”

The reality is that the pandemic gave young people a glimpse of life away from their desks, and they’ve created routines they aren’t willing to sacrifice.

Saving money seems to be a factor in how young Aussies aren’t making the trek back to the office, but they seem to be more addicted to the freedom that working from home gives them.

*Joan, who lives in Melbourne and is in her early 30s, explains that she won’t budge on working from home because it adds so much value to her personal and work life.

“If there are meetings that I have to present, but I don’t have to participate in, I can turn off my camera and get on with my work. If I have breaks in my schedules, I can go to the gym, go grocery shopping, and watch reality television.”

“I’m doing the exact same amount of work, but I’m not filling in my time with pointless conversations, and I don’t have to listen to people around me chat all day,” she said.

Joan isn’t opposed to ever going into the office, but she doesn’t see it as something that needs to be a daily habit.

“I do enjoy going to the office sometimes for collaboration, but in my day-to-day work I don’t need too. 95 per cent of my work is autonomous, I just want to be left alone.”

Working from home isn’t just about saving money. Source: Istock

Getting young Aussies back to offices might be impossible. Source: Istock

In fact Joan explained that she finds her work from home set-up way more productive than her workplace.

“I’m by myself. It is me and my cat and I can do all of my work, do all of my chores and get it all done,” she said.

Joan points out that working from home means she’s less likely to take sick leave because she can battle on from the safety of her house.

“If I had to go into the office and cough and sneeze on everyone, I would have taken time off,” she said.

Working from home seems to have become the bare minimum expectation that the younger generation expect from their employment place and while their reasons differ the overarching reason seems to be freedom.

*Luke, 29, explained that he likes to work from home because it allows him to “binge television and play video games,”

*Amy, 33 said that she just enjoyed the convenience factor, “I can cook, clean and I don’t have to get dressed up and I still get the same amount of work done.”

*April, 31, just loves how easy it makes her life. “I can dress like a slob and do the washing on my breaks and hang out with my two dogs,” she said.

*Jake, 26, loves working from home because it allows for him to function how he wants.

“I like to have a nap in the middle of the day, and it makes me feel so refreshed, and therefore I’m way more productive,” he shared.

*Aura, 29, really enjoys the vibe of her home.“Fresh air and natural light plus I can also be with my beloved cats and I don’t have the hassle of having to commute,” she said.

*Katie, 24, just likes to let it all hang out. “If I go into the office I have to be uncomfortable all day and wear a bra,” she said.

Names have been changed for privacy.