Proximity Bias Persists: 94% of UK Business Leaders Notice Employee Contributions More at the Office

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--According to new research released by Envoy, the fastest-evolving workplace platform, an overwhelming majority of UK business leaders (94%) take more notice of their employees’ work contributions when they are in the office versus when they work from home.

Envoy’s At Work survey compares the workplace opinions of UK executives and employees. The results reveal significant gaps in how both groups view the office.

Proximity bias is still a major factor despite greater awareness. While business leaders say they recognise the work of teams and individuals more when they’re in the office, 45% of employees* disagree. They don’t believe that their contributions are recognised more when they work from the office. Looking at the generational gap, Gen Z employees value workplace visibility more than any other generation. They are the most aligned with leadership. 72%** believe their contributions are noticed more in-office than at home.

Employees also continue to worry about traditional workplace taboos, such as leaving early. However, the survey reveals leaders are a lot more accommodating than employees think. 51% of employees believe their bosses will judge them for leaving the office early, but over two-thirds of executives (68%) say they wouldn’t view it negatively. Additionally, 52% of employees feel bringing a pet to the workplace would be viewed poorly by managers; yet 71% of leaders disagree. Even running personal errands during the workday is considered fine with most leadership. Only 33% would frown upon it; however, 53% of employees say differently.

Despite these contrasting views, there is overall agreement that workers are returning to a more flexible, and in many ways community-focused, workplace. Envoy’s survey also found:

The physical office is key for mental well-being and community-building.

• 70% of office workers say being in the office is good for their mental well-being.
• Most leaders (94%) and employees (83%) feel that office work life provides a sense of community. In-person touchpoints are helping develop rapport, which builds stronger relationships for better cross-functional work.

Employees and executives agree that the most important outcome when working in the office is productivity.

• When asked which is the most important result when working in an office – productivity or building relationships with coworkers – over half of employees (55%) and executives (52%) chose productivity.
• Female executives, younger executives, and those newer in their position are more likely to say productivity is the most important outcome.
  • 64%** of women executives think productivity is more important than relationship building while only 47% of their male counterparts think likewise.
  • 61%** of executives under 40 think productivity is more important compared with 47% who are 40 or older.
  • 62%** of director-level leaders versus 47% of C-suite executives think productivity is more important.

Long commutes continue to top the list of workplace dealbreakers.

• The biggest workplace deal breakers for employees are long commutes (52%), no flexibility in work hours (34%) and slow or outdated technology (32%).
• But when asked what they believed were their employees’ biggest concerns, leaders said the disregard of COVID-19 safety precautions (42%), no flexibility in work hours (36%) and lack of opportunities to socialise (33%).
• Leaders missed the mark by overlooking the costs of commuting and the lack of the latest technology as chief factors of concern for workers.

Leaders find it much easier than employees to leave work at work.

• When working in an office, 74% of executives* feel it’s easier to leave work behind compared to working from home.
• Only 42% of employees* find it easier. 22%* consider it more difficult to sign off.
• Despite what leaders may believe about being able to ‘turn work off' after leaving the office, employees find it difficult to maintain a healthy work life balance when working from the office.

At Work is a data-driven workplace report that is published twice a year and features workplace trends, survey results, Envoy‘s workplace platform data, and perspectives from workplace leaders. To find out more about proximity bias in the workplace, read our companion blog.

*Hybrid or formerly remote employees and/or executives
**Small base size: findings are directional.

About The Research

Envoy partnered with Wakefield Research to survey 1,000 UK office workers and 250 UK executives working in a physical office at least one day per week. “Office workers” are defined as those employed full-time, excluding those with a seniority of director or greater. "Executives" are defined as those with a minimum seniority of director. Survey responses were collected between the 8th and 18th of August, 2022, using an email invitation and online survey.

Data has been weighted to ensure an accurate representation of UK office workers who have returned to the office. The overall margin of error for the findings is ±3.1 percentage points for the employee survey and ±6.2 percentage points for the executive survey at a 95% confidence level.

About Envoy

Envoy is transforming modern workplaces for flexible work to bring people together so they can connect, collaborate, and thrive. Envoy’s workplace platform has redefined how companies welcome visitors, improve the employee experience, book desks and conference rooms, and manage deliveries in 16,000 locations around the globe by designing products for a flexible workplace experience. Companies like Slack, Pinterest, and Warby Parker rely on Envoy to create an unrivaled first impression and keep their offices secure and compliant.

For more information, please visit envoy.com.