Survey Says Canadian Remote Workers More Likely to Quit Than Return to Office

80% of Canadian remote workers would prefer to look for a new job rather than be forced to return to their offices full time, according to a survey conducted by financial website HardBacon.

The survey asked Canadians who work from home or remotely how often they do so and how they would react if their employers forced them to return to the office for the entire work week.

One of the main reasons why most Canadians wouldn’t consider a full return to in-person workspaces is due to financial constraints. The estimated cost for an employee returning to the office full time equates to nearly $6800 in travel expenses including gas and public transportation.

The survey notes inflation as another reason why Canadians prefer to stay home. Gas prices rose from $1.41/L to $1.75/L between April 2021 and April 2022. The cost of food in that same time period rose 9.7%. With the cost of living getting more expensive and salaries stagnating, workers are becoming more concerned about their financial situations.

The survey adds that both men and women want a significant pay increase if that means they must return to the office more full time. Men wanted an approximately 29% increase while women asked for 25% more.

Since the beginning of 2021, 32% of Canadian employees ages 15 to 69 worked the majority of their weeks from home. Comparatively, this number was only at 4% in 2016.