Findings from a survey focused on the most popular job benefit among UK office workers* in 2022 is the option to work from home, either in a hybrid or full-time capacity. 

Surveying 1,000 Urespondents selected the top three job benefits that matter most to them when evaluating a new job opportunity. According to the survey findings:

• Working-from-home options — which include hybrid and full-time remote work — takes the lead, chosen by a majority (52%) of those surveyed. 
• A four-day working week (at full pay) comes in second, chosen by two in five (47%) of respondents. 

The findings suggest that work-life balance is a top priority for UK workers in the post-COVID era. This is echoed by new data from Advanced Workplace Associates, which found that UK workers are currently working from the office only 1.5 days a week, on average.

The option to work from home was more popular among women surveyed, with almost three in five (59%) ranking this as a top job benefit compared to only 42% of men. ‘‘Childcare facility or financial assistance’’ was selected by only 12% of women surveyed and 8% of men, which suggests that remote work is enabling more people to balance their parental duties with career obligations.

Despite already being rolled out to 3,300 employees, starting in June 2022, a four-day work week at full pay was not selected by the majority of UK workers* (60%) as a top benefit. Whereas working from home was tried and tested by most office workers during the pandemic, these new findings indicate uncertainty surrounding the four-day week amongst UK office workers.

UK workers appear to be doubling down on their preference for flexible work arrangements at a time when many corporate organisations, such as Apple, are beginning to tighten restrictions on hybrid work policies. Office and recreational perks were among the lowest ranked job benefits, with “free lunches or lunch allowance” selected by only 14% of respondents, and “gym membership” selected by only 8%.

“In today’s post-COVID, ‘employee’s market,’ it’s clear that workers no longer just appreciate benefits that support work-life balance — they require them”, said Amanda Augustine, careers expert for TopCV. “While a free lunch, beanbags and a foosball table may have caught the eye of new recruits pre-pandemic (when five days in the office was the norm), employees have now had a taste of more comfortably navigating their personal and home lives, and as these findings suggest, they’re unwilling to sacrifice this arrangement. Adding a new initiative to the mix, such as the four-day week, will undoubtedly create more appetite among UK workers for flexible arrangements in months to come.”

*TopCV