Why hybrid workers are dissatisfied with hybrid work arrangements

The most cause of dissatisfaction was their lack of workspace at home.

One in five hybrid workers are dissatisfied with their work-from-home arrangements due to factors such as too small homes, no proper working area, and lack of privacy, a report by JLL Singapore revealed.

Seven out of 10 owner-occupiers or those who own the house they live in have a hybrid work arrangement or are working from home full-time, with 78% satisfied with their current work-from-home (WFH) arrangements.

Home preference

The 22% of respondents who are dissatisfied with their current WFH arrangements were asked to indicate their reasons. The most common reason for dissatisfaction was a lack of proper workstations in the home (30%). This was followed by a lack of privacy (22%), insufficient floor area (20%), and technical issues (17%).

About 59% of respondents who are dissatisfied with their current WFH arrangements see the need for a bigger home. Amongst this pool of respondents, about 59% of them prefer a private home, whilst the remaining 41% prefer to own an HDB flat.

63% of hybrid workers prefer a home size between 1,201 sq ft and 1,800 sq ft. A home size of more than 2,000 sq ft was also a fairly popular choice (15%).

“Of the owner-occupier respondents who were dissatisfied with their WFH arrangements, a majority of 59% indicated the need for a bigger home. There is a significant difference between the median current home size (1,001 - 1,200 sq ft) and the median preferred home size (1,401 - 1,600 sq ft), suggesting that those with the budget would prefer a much larger home to comfortably accommodate their WFH arrangements,” JLL said.

Privacy is something most hybrid workers contend with. In terms of floor layouts, 24% of hybrid workers want a dedicated study room for workspace whilst 20% said they need more bedrooms for additional workspace and sleeping space. 16% said they want a bigger bedroom to incorporate a workstation. Meanwhile, 23% said they want better soundproofing for walls, doors and windows.

Renovation and moving

Of the 46 owner-occupier respondents dissatisfied with their WFH arrangements, 13% have plans to renovate their new homes before moving in, while 11% intend to move houses within the next year. A further 9% intend to renovate their homes within the next year. 

“An overwhelming majority of 67% of dissatisfied owner-occupier respondents do not intend to renovate or move homes despite their inadequate work environments at home. Some possible reasons for this observation are that they find their homes are only slightly unsatisfactory in terms of WFH adequacy, or those who have hybrid working arrangements spend more time working in the office than working from home. On the other hand, dissatisfied owner-occupier respondents who intend to renovate and/or move homes are likely motivated by their present homes being significantly inadequate to support their WFH arrangements,” JLL said.