Reboot: Employees want safety and well-being prioritized
PwC’s Workforce Pulse Survey findings for May 11, 2020
Employers have the opportunity to raise awareness about protecting people and productivity
As states begin to loosen shelter-in-place mandates, companies are planning for a return to the workplace by implementing a raft of safety measures. But how do employees feel about returning to the workplace? To find out, PwC surveyed more than 1,100 American workers nationwide during the week of May 4, 2020. The results might surprise employers:
- Do you know how your workers feel about returning to the workplace?
- Has employee sentiment informed your plans for the reboot?
- How are you planning to educate and communicate with workers who want to be safe yet have questions about tracing?
View additional Workforce Pulse Survey findings
- Can focusing on employee trust help end the pandemic sooner? (January 25)
- Recovery starts with safety and confidence (November 23)
- Workforce and CHRO insights from PwC Pulse Surveys (October 5)
- It's time to adopt a cyber-savvy culture (July 23)
- Reset: What do employees need to feel confident and supported in a changed world? (June 15)
Workers worry about getting sick
Among the workers we surveyed, 39% were forced to stop working (while still being paid) or were forced to work remotely. Of those, the vast majority — 70% — said that something would prevent them from returning to the office or work site if their employer asked them to return. Most — 51% — cited fear of getting sick.
Overall, parents of children under 18 are more reluctant to return to work, citing, among other issues, an unwillingness to take public transportation. Meanwhile, some workers are also taking care of family members who are ill. Employers are well-advised to integrate these concerns into their plans for the reboot, which might well require a combination of on-premises and remote-work options.
Barriers to returning to the workplace*
Top reasons that Americans would not be able to return to work
May 8, 2020: base 468 (those forced to stop working, but still being paid and those forced to work remotely)
Q: Which of the following would prevent you from returning to your office or work site location, if your employer asked you to return tomorrow? Please select all that apply. *main categories
Note: Workers in the Northeast are more likely to select unwillingness to use public transportation.
Keep me safe, say workers
A little over half of all workers who had been forced to stop working or forced to work remotely are seeking guarantees of safety from their employers. Topping the list of measures they would like employers to provide is personal protective equipment (56%).
They also want to be informed immediately when a colleague has tested positive for COVID-19 (51%) and want customers to follow safety and hygiene protocols when they are onsite (51%). Companies already have many of these measures in place, according to a PwC survey of 288 US CFOs and finance leaders between May 4-6: 83% are implementing workplace safety measures such as wearing masks and offering testing while 73% are reconfiguring their worksites to promote physical distancing.
Preferred safety measures*
May 8, 2020: base 468 (those forced to stop working, but still being paid and those forced to work remotely)
Q: Which of the following measures would you need your employer to take in order to feel comfortable going back to your office or work site location?
Please select all that apply.
*main categories
The role of tracing tools
Workers want to be safe. They don’t want to get sick. But they have reservations about tracing tools — a dichotomy because tracing tools might well be among the more effective ways to stay healthy. This dichotomy offers employers a real opportunity to raise awareness about the role of tracing tools, to help ensure the well-being of both remote and on-site workers while respecting their privacy.
The tracking methods causing the most concern — with 31% saying they’re very concerned — include wearable devices to track location and proximity to infected individuals as well as phone apps that track location. While 45% are in favor of mandatory COVID-19 testing for health clearance before returning to the workplace, 24% are very concerned about this very same testing. Overall, men, workers in the Northeast and parents of children under 18 have more concerns about monitoring.
Concerns about being tracked
(Percent of American workers “very concerned”)
May 8, 2020: base 1,189
Q: How concerned are you about your employer using each of the following to track which employees have contracted COVID-19 or are potentially at-risk?
What does this mean for employers?
Workers are communicating a clear message: They want employers to prioritize their safety and well-being when they return to the workplace. Companies are already responding with a raft of safety measures designed to help protect people and productivity — including extending remote work options and modifying the workplace.
Communicating the extent of these safety and hygiene protocols will be essential in assuring employees who were forced to stop working or forced to work remotely that they are safe in a post-COVID-19 workplace. Employers also have an opportunity to educate employees about the technology available to help keep them safe while also protecting their privacy.
A key component of that education is raising awareness of the connection between tracing and each employee’s health — the importance of being able to pinpoint potential risk exposure precisely so they can take action quickly. Embarking on this type of ongoing dialogue can help employers identify the best path forward to help protect people and productivity.
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