Many workers willing to take a pay cut to work remotely, survey finds

Americans have grown so fond of working from home that many are are willing to sacrifice pay for the privilege of skipping the office. 

So found a recent survey by recruiting firm Robert Half, which polled thousands of U.S. employees and hiring managers about their attitudes toward remote work. Some workers said they're willing to take a pay cut — with an average reduction of 18% — to remain fully remote, Paul McDonald, a Robert Half senior executive director, told CBS News. 

Overall, roughly one in three workers who go into the office at least one day a week said they were willing to earn less for the opportunity to work remotely.

The Robert Half survey polled more than 2,500 U.S. workers and 2,100 hiring managers in November. It found that roughly three-quarters of workers said they are happier and more productive when they're working from home despite sometimes having to work longer hours. 

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Yet those preferences are running smack into a push by employers to get people back in the office. A recent Resume Builder survey found that nine out of 10 companies will require employees back to the office in 2023.

"Companies are saying [being in the office is] great for new employees to get inculcated with the company's mission, to build collaboration with colleagues and peers and to be visible," McDonald said. 

Technology companies were among the first to allow employees to work remotely, even before the pandemic kicked off a national experiment in working from home. Many of those companies have now reversed course.

Still, despite employers' misgivings, remote jobs aren't going away anytime soon, McDonald said, noting that 28% of jobs posted online in January were remote. That's because some companies aren't rushing workers back into the office for fear that those workers will leave for a more remote-friendly employer.

Khristopher J. Brooks

Khristopher J. Brooks is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering business, consumer and financial stories that range from economic inequality and housing issues to bankruptcies and the business of sports.

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