Randstad’s Q2 Workmonitor Pulse Survey gauged the sentiments of more than 7,500 workers in the US, Australia, the UK, Germany and France. Our findings revealed significant disparity in the perspective between white collar workers and their non-office counterparts but also some shared views. These revelations can help employers address talent scarcity and strengthen their attraction and retention strategies.

As expected, blue and gray collar talent expressed a higher level of dissatisfaction with workplace autonomy, but across all roles a large majority say they are mostly satisfied with the level of flexibility offered by their jobs. For instance, even though more than 10% of non-office talent are dissatisfied (compared with just 7% for white collar peers), more than 70% in each category are happy with their current arrangement.

Still, a significant percentage of non-office workers (over 30%) believe their employers fall short of accommodating their needs, with 39% having to use sick days to manage personal responsibilities, and 30% having quit a job over lack of flexibility. More importantly, about half of gray and blue collar talent say office workers get more flexibility. More than a perception, our data indicates that while 52% of white collar workers have seen greater flexibility during the past three years, only 26% of gray collar and 20% of blue collar talent reported the same.

an opportunity to increase workplace equity

There is no question that remote and hybrid working trends have favored office professionals, but in the eyes of many non-office workers, companies should offer more latitude in their jobs. Around 30% of blue and gray collar talent want a four-day or reduced work week, split shifts, night shifts or flexible weekend hours. In comparison, a majority of white collar workers want remote options.

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