"‘Afraid to Return to the Office’: Another Complaint from Office Workers"

[Asia Economy Reporter Seoyoung Kwon] It has been reported that the number of office workers reluctant to return to the office after the COVID-19 pandemic has increased.

In New York City, starting from the 3rd of next month, approximately 80,000 public employees have been instructed to return to work in the office instead of working remotely. This decision was made by the city government as vaccination efforts in the U.S. have progressed smoothly. Additionally, various companies in the U.S., including Google, Amazon, and Facebook, have announced that they will gradually increase office-based work.

However, not all office workers welcomed the return to office work. According to a survey conducted by the American Psychological Association (APA) targeting 3,013 adults aged 18 and over, about 40% of respondents said, "Even if I return to the office, I will find it uncomfortable to adjust to interpersonal relationships." Similar results appeared in Germany. According to a Dow Jones report, in a survey conducted by Jefferies, 44% of German respondents said, "Even if (office work) is allowed, I will not immediately return to the office."

The so-called negative impact of COVID-19 is often cited as "Corona Blue." As outdoor activities and social life decreased, disconnection between people deepened, which in turn caused individual feelings of depression. However, The New York Times reported, "For introverted people, remote work guidelines were rather a relief." This meant that while some found stability during the COVID-19 crisis, many others were worried about returning to the past.

Accordingly, there is also a perspective that the workplace environment will change to a "hybrid model" in the future. The Bank of Korea forecasted in a report on remote work that "remote work will increase as a trend." It also predicted that "mixed-type remote work will increase rather than permanent remote work."