Isabelle Dube
Journalism

1%

While at the beginning of the epidemic, forced remote work was not unanimous, it is clear that during use, it is finding more and more followers. Already in August 2021, during the first RJCCQ study, only 11% wanted to return to the office full time. They are now only 1%.

Reassembly notes a world of work in constant evolution. If, in January 2022, 45% of young professionals between the ages of 16 and 35 wanted to work from home at all times, that number now rises to 66% while 33% want a hybrid model. “We are clearly heading towards the end of work at all times in the office for the new two generations,” said Pierre Graf, CEO of Regroupement des jeunes chambres de commerce du Québec (RJCCQ) in an interview.

The results show that returning to the office in a hybrid paradigm, one or several days a week, did not succeed in changing the habits of young people nor in convincing them of the benefits of being in their workplace, he explains. “On the contrary, they now want to stay home all the time in two out of three cases. It was something that amazed me.”

The major resignation did not happen

During the pandemic, several workers said they were considering checking to see if the grass was greener at their neighboring employer. “We wanted to learn more about the ‘Great Resignation’ a year later, says Pierre Graf, because what made the headlines a year earlier appeared south of the border. For Quebec, we had statistics that reflected a reality that was much less alarming than we had expected.”

Thus, 75% of the respondents have no intention of leaving their current job in the next year. However, 47% could do so in the next five years to meet new challenges. Contrary to clichés conveyed about young people, 84% estimate the stability of their work, according to the study.

Show me the money please!

With regard to working conditions, the trend remains the same, notes Pierre Graf. Even before inflation hit, young people wanted higher wages instead of benefits. The study notes that the majority of young professionals (63%) currently prefer a salary increase equivalent to the cost of their insurance, rather than a group insurance. “Salary remains the most important thing for young professionals,” he asserts.

“In the old polls, we noticed that there was an interest in preserving the achievements of previous generations, continues Pierre Graf. Now there is a desire to have more money even if we have to deny ourselves this kind of advantage.”

The RJCCQ plans to survey young professionals with children to see if the trend would be different.

Professionals retreat

The pandemic has made some realize that the work-life balance is healthier. The majority of young people between the ages of 16 and 35, 62%, now say they prioritize their personal lives. He explains, “We were surprised in the second survey, in January 2022, by the percentage that personal life took its course, and remained stable. Only 6% of people are professionals and will do anything to move forward.”

Inevitably, he concludes, employers who call you in the middle of the night or who want you to work on the weekend will have less pressure in the coming years with these clients.