Although many employees found they enjoyed working remotely during the pandemic, their newfound freedom has come at a cost. The average remote worker lost an estimated $9,800 in delayed or denied promotions, more than half feel burned out on a weekly basis and one-third plan to change careers or seek a new job in the next six months.

"One of the most important conversations of this year is if and when companies will transition back to in-person or hybrid workplaces, but our data are a stark reminder that we need to be discussing more than just the logistics of this return," said Cassie Whitlock, head of HR at BambooHR. "With 85% of remote workers saying they have new expectations of employers, how people are experiencing the impacts of remote work, pay discrepancies and more must be taken into consideration for companies to retain the talent they have carefully recruited up until this point."