Companies everywhere are still figuring out their remote- and hybrid-work policies. While some (including Amazon) have enforced back-to-office mandates, others are allowing their employees maximum flexibility to work from home. How do tech professionals feel about the current trends?

According to Dice’s latest Sentiment Report, tech professionals have a range of feelings about remote and hybrid work at the moment. Let’s dig in!  

The Tension of Remote Work

Consistent with what we have seen in recent years, the tension between remote and in-office work continues to impact the workplace. Notably, the percentage of tech professionals expected to go into the office at least three days per week has increased significantly. Additionally, a growing number of these professionals indicate that their in-office attendance is now mandated by their companies.

This shift may be a key factor contributing to the decline in satisfaction with current remote work arrangements compared to the previous year. In fact, our analysis reveals a clear correlation between mandated in-office work and job dissatisfaction. Tech professionals who are required to work in an office at least one day per week report nearly double the levels of dissatisfaction, at 31 percent, compared to those who attend the office without a mandate, at 16 percent. The number one reason tech professionals cite for preferring remote work is that it is more cost-effective. This is followed by the feeling that it leads to more productivity, more efficiency, and more flexibility.

Remote work, or lack thereof, does seem to impact employee well-being.  Tech professionals who are never or not allowed to work remotely experience notably higher levels of burnout, at 42 percent, compared to their peers who work remotely four to five days per week and only experience burnout at a rate of 25 percent.

Interestingly, younger tech professionals, those aged 18 to 34, are much more likely to look at remote work with a nuanced perspective. Only 11 percent of this group feel that are no cons to working remotely. In fact, they were significantly higher than at least two other age groups to experience technical difficulties/internet issues, distractions, no defined workspace and find it harder to stay motivated.

In the course of multiple surveys extending back through the pandemic, Dice has found that these younger tech pros prefer hybrid work to remote, and that certainly makes sense: hybrid work offers the opportunity for in-person collaboration and mentorship alongside the flexibility of working from home a few days per week. As tech workers age, their career goals—and their opinions on how remote and hybrid work factor into those—undergo a shift.

Remote work remains a critical factor for tech professionals when evaluating new job opportunities. Nearly nine in 10 tech professionals said remote work plays an important role when evaluating new opportunities. Remote work also ranked higher than job stability/security and benefits. Additionally, six in ten tech professionals are willing to accept a pay cut or reduced overall compensation in exchange for a better work-life balance, a trait often linked to remote work flexibility.

(By the way, here’s a quick methodology breakdown for all of you survey aficionados out there: the Q2 2024 Technology Professionals Sentiment Survey was conducted online via email June 5 – 27, 2024. The survey generated 520 qualified responses from fully employed technology professionals residing in the U.S.)

What Employers Think

While tech professionals clearly prefer remote work, a disconnect has grown between their preferences and the policies of many employers. A substantial 87 percent of employers continue to favor hybrid work settings, with 27 percent mandating some in-office days for their employees. Additionally, 12 percent of HR professionals report that their companies enforce a 100 percent in-office policy, highlighting a significant gap between tech professionals' expectations and the realities of current workplace policies.

This year’s survey also reveals an uptick in the removal of remote work, with 9 percent of employers eliminating such options—up four percentage points from the previous year. The primary drivers for those who removed remote work were C-suite or company leadership decisions, cited by 29 percent of HR professionals, and concerns over employee productivity and work performance, according to 25 percent. Only 15 percent of HR professionals indicated that changes to remote work policies were driven by employee requests or feedback.

Dice’s latest Sentiment Report has even more information about how tech professionals are feeling about everything from work-life balance and burnout to the prospect of jumping jobs. Check it out!