WORKING from home may damage an employee's career prospects, a new study has revealed.
Remote workers in Northern Ireland believe they will feel isolated and miss out on social connections, and more than a third worry there will be "employer bias" for in-person workers.
And younger professionals cite fears around presenteeism, favouritism, reduced earning potential and poor career advancement so long as they aren't making regular commutes to the workplace.
The findings come as part of a survey of 1,800 workers by employer branding experts Universum, which is part of hiring platform NIJobs.com.
It follows a YouGov survey earlier this month for the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development which revealed that the majority of workers in Northern Ireland would prefer to work from home even after pandemic restrictions are fully lifted.
At the moment, the advice in Northern Ireland remains to work from home where possible.
But in its winter Covid contingency plan outlined last month, First Minister Paul Givan said there would be "a focus on flexible and hybrid working in workplaces".
The Universum data found that while 82 per cent of workers are interested in remote working opportunities, a deeper data dive showed half will feel isolated and miss out on social connections and 37 per cent believe bosses will favour in-person workers.
Some 42 per cent feel of younger workers felt employers will favour those present in the office while 34 per cent feel their earning potential will be reduced compared to 18 per cent in the senior professional category.
Sam McIlveen, general manager at NIJobs.com, said: “The responses reveal a complete shift in priorities and attitudes in the workplace, which isn't unexpected given the backdrop of record job vacancies and the intense competition for talent, which presents a new conundrum for employers.
“Going into 2022, businesses will have to master the fine art of balancing employee expectation and filling those key roles.
“Remote working is here to stay, so it is vital trust is built going forwards.
“Fears around accidental favouritism, social isolation and a negative impact on career development can be addressed through more practical, hybrid working models.
“An office environment typically improves collaboration, knowledge sharing and leadership and could help alleviate concerns around career advancement expressed by younger professionals.
“Work-life balance and more flexibility can then be integrated to help boost productivity, job satisfaction and, importantly, retain talent on an ongoing basis.”
