Continental Survey: I Work from Home – or I Quit!

Dr. Ariane Reinhart, Continental Executive Board member for Human Relations and Sustainability explains: “Many employees got to know and appreciate the benefits of flexible working models during the pandemic and are now no longer willing to lose them. At the same time, there are good reasons for increased office attendance. Personal interaction between employees is important for promoting creativity, efficiency, effectiveness and cooperation, and strengthens their identification with the company.”

Employees value the combination of working from home and on-site

Almost two-thirds (62 percent) of respondents feel that spending at least half of their weekly working hours or more in the office is ideal, while just under one-fifth of those surveyed (19 percent) regard four or five days working from home or remotely as the best option. 

“The survey shows that employees essentially want to be present at their workplace – but not all of the time or subject to a strict schedule of fixed days per week,” observes Reinhart. “It’s therefore important for the company to provide a framework that can be tailored together with managers and teams – in order to reconcile the interests of the company with those of employees.”

Social interaction is the greatest benefit of working on-site

When it comes to working on company premises, social interaction with colleagues is the aspect respondents value most highly, cited by just under half at 47 percent. Around one-fifth believe it is easier to keep their work and private lives separate at the office, while just under one-fifth specify efficient teamwork or faster and better results as the greatest advantage of working on-site  “The findings show that employees appreciate the advantages of working in the office and have a good feel for where they can achieve the best results,” explains Reinhart. “It is up to companies to strike an effective balance between in-person and remote working and to offer an inspiring, creative work environment that promotes constructive collaboration.”

Flexibility is a major advantage of working from home 

When it comes to working from home or remotely, 39 percent of respondents value above all the time they gain through not having to commute. More than one-third (37 percent) see an improved work-life balance and flexibility as the greatest benefit, while 17 percent say the main advantage is they can work in a more focused manner at home. 

Mixed feelings on salary incentive

More than half of those surveyed (53 percent) would give up working from home or remotely for a higher salary. “The cost of living has increased sharply in recent times. As a result, many employees are once again focusing more on pay,” says Reinhart. “Nonetheless, more than one-third (38 percent) of respondents would be unwilling to give up working from home.”

Three days working from home is standard

More than half of respondents (52 percent) are allowed to work three days a week or more from home. One-fifth (20 percent) have the option of working from home or remotely for the full week. 

Continental introduced flexible working conditions for all employees worldwide back in 2016. In practice, the hybrid work model, i.e. a combination of working remotely and on-site, has proven successful. Personal interaction on-site fosters the sharing of ideas and information, strengthens cohesion and makes the company more innovative and creative. 

A guiding framework is available for achieving a good balance between on-site (either at the office or with the customer) and remote work. This varies according to the specific requirements of each team. Managers therefore agree together with their teams on the binding regulations governing the balance they need between working on-site and remotely to jointly achieve the best results. Based on the experiences gained since the introduction of flexible working conditions, a ratio of 60 percent on-site attendance and 40 percent remote work has proven particularly useful for collaboration in our case.