Written by: Jay H.
The coronavirus pandemic uprooted the workplace as we knew it. Seemingly overnight, organizations relocated entire workforces into remote environments. However, with vaccinations steadily rolling out, long-forgotten pre-pandemic activities are resuming, including attending concerts, dining in at restaurants, traveling and office work. However, a recent survey from Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies suggests that few Canadians want to return to the office full-time.
In a poll of 1,624 Canadians, 82 percent who worked from home during the pandemic say their experience was positive. In addition, only 20 percent want to stop working from home and go back to the office entirely. Almost 60 percent reported that they would prefer to return to the office part-time or occasionally, while 19 percent said they never want to return.
Not only do many Canadians not want to return to the office, but they are also demanding accommodation for remote work. Thirty-five percent of Canadians surveyed agreed that if their superiors ordered them to return to the office, they would start to look for another job where they can work from home.
The top three reasons for working from home were convenience, saving money, and increased productivity.
What Does This Mean For My Business?
As a business owner, you likely migrated at least part of your workforce into a remote environment during the pandemic. However, just as you may consider bringing your team back into the office, you may want to survey your staff. Find out how your employees would like to work, whether full-time at home, full-time at the office, or a hybrid setup. Then, see whether you will be able to accommodate their preferences.
The degree of home-based work varies significantly by your industry. For instance, restaurants, hotels, construction, airports, healthcare, and manufacturing are all jobs that require high percentages of in-person work. Therefore, the ability to permit workers to work from home in a hybrid or permanent setup depends on your industry.
Of course, remote work comes with more variables than meets the eye. You have to figure out the complex mix of costs, innovation, accommodation of needs and skills, and work discipline required. However, as we look into the post-pandemic future, accommodating remote work may be one way for you to recruit top talent–and get your current team to stay.
Managing Your Remote And In-House Teams
No matter your work setup, you need to ensure your business and your teams are safe and secure. That’s why many organizations turn to managed IT service providers (MSP) like Design2Web ITÂ to manage all of their IT needs. When you partner with a MSP, you receive many essential services, including remote management and monitoring of your networks, daily backups of your invaluable data, network security and cybersecurity, and remote tech support. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your organization.
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