Younger workers who started work after the pandemic expect to be paid more to work in the office full time, according to a study by BSI and think-tank ResPublica.
The 2025 Global Workforce Entrants Study surveyed 4,700 people who have started work since the pandemic.
It found that 37% of respondents prefer hybrid working and just 16% remote. However, almost half of those who work hybrid arrangements or remotely (49%) said they would leave their job if they were required to work fully on-site.
Just over a quarter (27%) of respondents wanted to be fully site-based and 20% said primarily site-based.
Most saw the benefit of working face-to-face for some part of the week, with 60% saying hybrid jobs should have ‘anchor’ days where teams come together.
Just over seven in 10 (71%) said that they felt jobs requiring a full-time presence on site should offer other flexibilities, such as policies on ‘core hours’ where employees are only mandated to be in during a specific time of day.
Almost two-thirds (64%) of respondents thought that jobs that required full-time office presence should be paid more.
Fifty-nine percent who work in remote or hybrid roles more than an hour away from their office said they were able to save money by not commuting.
A third (34%) said that their mental health was negatively affected by remote work during the pandemic, but almost three-fifths (57%) felt that working in a hybrid structure was good for their mental wellbeing.
More than one in five (22%) said social anxiety would impact their decision to take on a new, fully on-site role. This increased to one in four for those who already work in remote roles.
That said, generation Z workers appreciate the chance to socialise at work. Almost three-quarters (73%) made friends in their first job, and more than half (55%) found a mentor.
Susan Taylor Martin, chief executive of BSI, said: “We are five years on from the pandemic and organizations around the globe are still grappling with the most effective ways of working.
“BSI commissioned this important study to create a detailed picture of a cohort who started their careers amid significant upheaval, many of whom have never known pre-pandemic ‘typical’ working patterns.
“The results provide a strong counterpoint to the culture war narrative of a lazy generation; instead, we have found a cohort thinking very carefully about what they want from life and work and understand the trade-offs involved.”
She added that organisations looking to attract and retain new entrants to the workforce would benefit from “starting from a place of understanding and empathy”.
Kate Field, global head of human and social Sustainability at BSI, said the survey showed a “highly pragmatic cohort”.
“The hybrid generation has had the curtain pulled back on what work is and what it can offer them. They value balance, moderation and consistency and are thoughtful when it comes to prioritising their own health and wellbeing.
“Alongside the unique circumstances of the pandemic, they are also facing longer working lives and higher living costs, so it is perhaps no surprise that sustainable careers – careers that serve their lives rather than the other way around – are a priority. This works for employers too, a healthy, happy workforce, inclusive of those with visible or invisible disabilities, mental health or neurodiversity needs, is a more innovative and productive workforce.”
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