RTO rates | One in ten firms see staff quit over return-to-office mandates

More than two fifths (41%) of businesses have increased their requirement for onsite working over the past year, according to new research by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).  

While most of the firms (67%) who require onsite working say it hasn’t impacted recruitment or retention, one in ten relevant businesses (9%) have seen staff leave in response.

Looking ahead, just less than half (48%) of businesses expect all working days to be in-person over the next 12 months. 583 businesses took part in the online research, carried out between 24 April and 14 May. 94% of the firms who took part were SMEs (fewer than 250 employees). 

The data reveals significant differences in sectoral attitudes towards hybrid working, with manufacturers (62%) and B2C (61%) services most likely to be expecting all working days to be on-site in the next year. In contrast, just 27% of business-to-business service companies say they’ll be expecting all shifts to be in person over the next year.