Housing perk lures remote workers back – survey
PENNSYLVANIA, UNITED STATES — To urge remote workers back to offices, employers are dangling an enticing perk – housing benefits.
A survey by JW Surety Bonds revealed that nearly half (47%) of over 1,000 respondents would return to the office if offered such assistance. Nearly 1 in 3 employees would prefer housing benefits over a pay raise.
“The significant dip in home affordability in recent years has led some companies to realize there’s a need to offer affordable housing programs to attract and retain workers,” the report said.
“We also discovered a shift in benefit priorities among many of the employees we surveyed, with housing trumping paid time off (PTO), raises, and remote work for some.”
Recognizing this trend, a quarter of employers plan to offer an average of just over $6,000 per worker in housing benefits this year.
The housing crisis has worsened because of the return-to-office mandates enforced by companies post-pandemic.
Workers who relocated to affordable but distant locations are now grappling with long commutes. A chunk of these workers struggle to move closer to their offices as real estate rates have soared in these areas.
Companies like IWG, which provides hybrid workspace solutions, have identified the rise of “commuter towns” on the outskirts of big cities where housing remains affordable.
IWG projects office worker populations in these areas could surge by up to 175% in the United Kingdom and 60% in the U.S. as businesses adopt hybrid models.
