Quick Survey: 39% of respondents undecided about hybrid work arrangements
According to a pulse survey of MEA Member companies, nearly forty percent of employers are still undecided on how they will reintroduce employees to the workspace on a weekly basis.
Question 1: As federal and state restrictions allow, what are your plans for employees returning to the physical workspace?
Surprisingly, 13% of respondents plan to physically go back to the workspace full time, working all five days in the office, while the majority of remaining employers (33%) responded that the hybrid option of 1-2 days back in the office would suffice for their companies. Additionally, 13% plan to go back 3-4 days per week.
Respondents were able to add comments which included a variety of responses such as:
- leadership may go back more often than other employees
- decisions are being made at the department level
- some positions are transitioning to 100% remote
- a common theme that employees would be phased in, or rotate throughout the week to avoid exposure to all employees.
Question 2: Assuming conditions and government restrictions allow, when do you anticipate this change taking effect?
Further in the survey, respondents were asked when they anticipate these changes, and answers varied, with 31% favoring an earlier back-to-work timeframe (May/June) when a slightly higher average (38%) is considering an early fall return to work (September/October). Still, 24% of employers are planning a summer return in July/August, while only 7% chose the “later” option.
Companies each have their own deciding factors for returning to work, but a lot can be ascertained from these findings- such as the notion that phasing in employees or rotating them weekly may help reduce exposure. Summer may be the perfect time to do this as many people will be taking personal time off for vacations and other outings, to ease into the process- and back into the office.
It is clear from this survey that employers are considering the return to work safety plan but many are unclear on exactly what that will entail. This “new normal” of hybrid, remote-working and shared workspace in the COVID-era will be navigated in the coming months by all employers.
Join MEA’s weekly Growth & Recovery webinar series where we discuss issues like these as well as other best practices to help employers emerge from Covid on top.