A newfound interest in working from home could be a lasting effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new poll.
Research Co. says their Canadian survey about workplace culture revealed 80 per cent of people currently working from home are hoping to continue doing so even after the outbreak has passed.
That’s an increase of 15 points from a similar survey Research Co. conducted in April.
The results suggest workers are becoming more comfortable with remote employment.
89 per cent feel their company trusts them to carry on their duties from home and 78 per cent thinking their company is equipped to allow work-from-home.
“Back in April, the notion of working from home was definitely intimidating for some Canadians,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co.
“Eight months later, most say they have all they need in order to fulfil their duties away from the office and acknowledge that the experience has been positive.”
Some obstacles still exist, however, with nearly half (46 per cent) of “provisional home workers” — people normally employed in-person but currently working remotely — saying distractions at home make remote work difficult.
This proportion rises to 54 per cent among workers 18 to 34 years old.
There are also social obstacles, with 68 per cent saying they miss interacting with people at their regular office.
British Columbians are especially high in this demographic, with 86 per cent missing in-person interaction.
The first round of COVID-19 vaccines is expected to arrive in British Columbia next week.
Results are based on an online study conducted from December 2 to December 6, 2020, among 803 Canadian adults who are currently working from home instead of at their regular office. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.5 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty. Full data tables are available online.
