According to FlexJobs’ Work Insight 2022 Survey* with over 1,200 people currently employed, remote work is considered the second most important element to compensation and benefit packages, ranked only behind salary. In fact, remote work has become such a priority among today’s workers that 57 percent say if they are not allowed to keep working remotely in their current position, they will absolutely look for a new job. The value of having flexible schedule options was assessed similarly to having health insurance and vacation time.

Four-day workweeks, once considered an extremely fringe benefit, were identified as important by nearly a third of workers, while only half cited retirement benefits.

When asked which compensation and benefits are most important to them, workers specified:

• Salary (83%)
• Remote work options (77%)
• Flexible schedule options (63%)
• Health insurance (63%)
• Vacation time (62%)
• 401(k)/Retirement benefits (50%)
• Skills training and education options (44%)
• Special company perks (35%)
• Bonus (34%)
• Four-day workweeks (29%)
• Equity (21%)
• Paid maternity/paternity leave (18%)

Even though workers have vocalized the importance of remote work options, 36 percent reported that their companies will require them to be in the office full-time post-pandemic. Twenty-eight percent expect a hybrid workplace, and 23 percent anticipate a fully remote workplace. The remaining 11 percent were not sure about their company’s plans yet.

“We continue to see evidence that post-pandemic workers will not only expect but in many cases demand the ability to work remotely at least some of the time,” said Sara Sutton, Founder and CEO of FlexJobs. “Placing remote work and flexible schedule options on par with or even above key benefits, such as health insurance and vacation time, speaks very loudly about what today’s workers truly value, and I hope companies are listening,” Sutton concluded.