More Young Bosses Want A Raise To Work From The Office

(Bloomberg) -- Half of the UK’s youngest managers want a pay rise to return to the office five days a week, according to a report by the Chartered Management Institute.

That’s more than the average across all age groups and double the number for over 55s, the CMI survey of more than 1,000 UK managers found. Those under 35 are also most likely to demand travel subsidies, regular team gatherings and office benefits such as free lunch to work in the office full time.

“A lot of this flexibility is driven by family responsibilities and the under 35s, that’s the cohort most likely to have young kids and therefore need to work more flexibly,” Anthony Painter, director of policy at the CMI, said in a phone interview. 

UK bosses would expect an average pay bump of 12% if asked to work in the office full time, the survey also found. Raises come second only to more flexible hours on the list of demands. At the same time, a quarter said they would work fully on-site without expecting anything in return.

The figures come as employers from JPMorgan to Blackrock are boosting their return-to-office efforts. The UK’s resilient labor market and relatively high vacancy levels suggest firms still have to compete for workers.

“Staff still have an ability to negotiate,” said Painter. “If you’re looking to hire for key positions, then inevitably there’s gonna be a negotiation around whether you can meet the expectations of the people that you’re looking to hire. The labor market is evenly balanced between employers and staff, so that’s still an active conversation.”

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