Cracks begin to show in hybrid working as more staff report ‘video call fatigue’ – but nearly a third would still quit if faced with an RTO mandate

A third of younger workers say they'd rather quit their jobs than do more days in the office, according to a survey.

Education platform Kahoot surveyed 2,000 UK professionals revealing why so many workers are keen to stay at home — and why some can't wait to get back to the office.

The study revealed that 29% of 18-24 year olds would quit their jobs if faced with even a partial return to office (RTO) mandate, with 24% of 25-34 year olds saying the same.

Despite the love of working from home, there are complaints. Nearly half (46%) of respondents to the Kahoot survey said they believe they are more productive working in the office versus 26% who feel they get more done at home.

Similarly, a third think their coworkers are less efficient at home than in the office.

"The study shows that a third of UK hybrid workers would quit if WFH days were reduced, underscoring the lasting impact of the remote work shift," said Sean D'Arcy, chief solutions officer at Kahoot.

That fits with previous research that found business leaders could risk sparking a ‘brain drain’ when implementing strict RTO mandates. In a study by the University of Pittsburgh, researchers found RTO mandates can lead to a surge in staff departures.

Notably, the study found that the company’s best-performing staff are among the first to jump ship, with women and more senior skilled employees in particular opting for a career move.

The novelty of hybrid work may be over

D'Arcy said that while working from home remains a favored practice for many workers, the survey showed the shine has worn off hybrid working, revealing some downsides.

"Yet, the novelty of remote work has faded, with many employees reporting video call fatigue, productivity drops, and privacy concerns," D'Arcy said.

Indeed, many of the complaints seem to stem from video calls, with 55% of respondents said they suffer video-call fatigue. Respondents also said they feel less tolerant of poor video-call etiquette like meetings being crashed by children, eating and drinking on camera, or faking a technical issue to ditch out of a call.

Indeed, 87% of those surveyed said at least some of their video meetings aren't needed, with a quarter reporting that at least half could have been an email. A third of respondents also feel video calls are less useful than in-person meetings.

The research also raised concerns about security risks, with a third of UK workers who were surveyed saying they have overheard work-related calls in public places, with confidential information leaking on screen or via calls.

That doesn't mean the hybrid work experiment should come to an end, D’Arcy said, but that meetings — whether Zoom or in person — need to improve.

"Rather than forcing employees back to the office, employers should focus on improving hybrid work by optimizing meetings, keeping them shorter, more purposeful, and engaging," he added.