Press release

New Research Reveals One Third of Employees Will Explore New Jobs or Resign if Employers Fail to Create a Safe In-Office Work Environment Amid COVID-19

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According to new research released today, business leaders report they expect to have 51% or more of their employees back in the physical workplace by January 2021. However, 90.6% of employees will take action if their employer fails to create a safe onsite work environment, including raising concerns to authorities or labor unions (39.5%); exploring new employment opportunities or resigning (30.7%); and considering legal action (20.4%). The 2020 Return-to-Work During the COVID-19 Pandemic Study by Traction Guest also found that 43% of employees report their employer has not introduced any technologies to ensure physical health and safety since the start of the pandemic.

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“Reopening facilities during COVID-19 presents complex challenges for employers. The associated costs and business disruptions are alarming if nearly a third of employees depart because they don’t feel safe onsite. Employers have the choice to either COVID-proof their offices now or risk losing employees,” said Keith Metcalfe, CEO at Traction Guest. “Software can provide significant value by streamlining secure collection of health attestations and COVID-19 screenings while centralizing shift management and emergency communications. This technology can also reassure employees that their health and wellbeing are a top priority.”

Employee Concerns and Confidence About Returning to Work

The 2020 Return-to-Work During the COVID-19 Pandemic Study found that 64.2% of employers report they will return 51% or more of their employees to the physical workplace by the end of January 2021.

Some employers expect to have 75% in-office capacity by this winter:

  • 15.2% of employers plan to have 75% in-office capacity by Winter 2020
  • 27.8% of employers plan to have 75% in-office capacity by Spring 2021
  • 38.3% of employers plan to have 75% in-office capacity by Summer 2021

The study found that more than one quarter (26.2%) of employees do not feel confident in their employer’s approach to inviting staff back to the office. Additionally:

  • Almost a quarter (24.9%) are not confident about their employer’s approach to screening individuals for COVID-19.
  • A similar amount (22.7%) do not feel confident about their employer’s communication capabilities for emergency situations.
  • Over a quarter (25.9%) of employees do not feel confident about their employer’s ability to accurately account for all people entering their workplace at any given time; and
  • When it comes to their employer’s ability to retain or delete their health-related information and use it appropriately, 21.4% do not feel confident in their employer’s approach.

When asked what precautions would make employees more confident about returning to work, employees identified the following:

  • Daily screening for COVID-19 symptoms for employees before they arrive onsite at a workplace location (56.8%)
  • Frequent or routine COVID-19 testing for all employees (55.6%)
  • Controlled number of staff returning to work on a given day (50.6%)

Over half (51.8%) of employees feel that employee and visitor check-in/out systems would make them feel more confident about returning to the workplace amid COVID-19, and security access control systems (39.8%) were named as a technology that would boost employee confidence. However, 43% of employees report that their employer has not introduced any technologies to ensure physical health and safety since the start of the pandemic.

When asked what action they would take if their employer failed to create a safe in-office work environment, employees reported they would:

  • Raise concerns to authorities or labor unions (39.5%)
  • Explore new employment opportunities or resign (30.7%)
  • Consider legal action against their employer (20.4%)

Employee Health and Safety is the Top Employer Concern

The 2020 Return-to-Work During the COVID-19 Pandemic Study surveyed employers about their concerns regarding bringing employees back to the workplace during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly all (87%) of employers reported that employee health and safety risks are the top concern.

Other employer concerns about bringing employees back to work during the pandemic include:

  • Employee retention risks (52.2%)
  • Financial risks (40.8%)
  • Reputational risks (37.3%)
  • Legal duty of care risks (34.8%)

The Future of the ‘Workforce Bubble’

As the pandemic continues, the concept of COVID bubbles – popularized by recent ‘sports bubble’ practices by the NBA, NHL and MLB with strict isolation, stringent entry and exit policies and frequent testing – is a potential path forward for returning people to facilities. The 2020 Return-to-Work During the COVID-19 Pandemic Study found that ‘workforce bubbles’ – wherein teams of staff are limited to the same shifts and to single sites or designated areas of the workplace – were cited as a top component of businesses’ plans to return people onsite.

Organizations can approach ‘bubbles’ in various ways that might include more robust shift management, creating static staff cohorts and establishing invitation protocols for site access. The study also found that employees are on board with the concept:

  • Implementing ‘workforce bubbles’ was found to be part of 78.2% of employers’ reopening plans.
  • Over two-thirds of employees (67.3%) surveyed said they would feel more confident about returning to the workplace if their organization implemented the ‘workforce bubble’ concept.

“While essential employees have continued working onsite throughout the pandemic, many employees are just beginning to return to the office. Many are eager to collaborate with coworkers, separate work from home and perform jobs that are meant to be done at their office or facility,” added Metcalfe. “Controlling staff scheduling through an ‘invite-first’ approach can minimize infection rates, reduce business disruptions and help with contact tracing. When carefully implemented, this strategy meets regulations regarding health screening and social distancing and gives organizations the ability to more tightly manage the safe return of workers.”

Employers Identify Top Precautions and Technologies

When asked what precautions they have implemented to make their workforce more confident about bringing employees back onsite during the COVID-19 pandemic, employers’ plans align with employees’ expectations:

  • 69.8% will screen daily for COVID-19 symptoms before employees arrive onsite
  • More than half (54.6%) of employers plan to control the total number of staff returning to work on a given day
  • Nearly half (46.4%) plan to have a medical expert on staff

One hundred percent of HR leaders reported controlling the total number of staff returning to work on a given day and limiting staff to specific shifts/time were top precautions that would make them feel more confident about bringing employees back onsite.

When employers were asked what technologies would make them feel more confident about bringing employees back to the workplace amid COVID-19:

  • HR leaders reported employee and visitor check-in/out systems as the number one technology (66.7%). Half (50%) of HR leaders also identified invitation/scheduling tools.
  • Heads of security chose employee and visitor check-in/out systems (40%), invitation/scheduling tools (40%) and contact tracing tools (40%).
  • C-level executives identified employee and visitor check-in/out systems (70.3%) and security access control systems, such as a door lock keypad or other security system that is required upon entry (68.8%), as preferred return-to-work technologies.

Traction Guest surveyed 300 enterprise organizations and 300 U.S. employees at enterprise-sized organizations of 1,000 employees or more for the 2020 Return-to-Work During the COVID-19 Pandemic Study. The research sheds light on how ready businesses feel about bringing people back on-premises during the pandemic, strategies and tactics for getting employees back into the workplace safely and how employees feel about returning onsite.

Additional Resources

About Traction Guest

Traction Guest, the leader in enterprise visitor and employee management, empowers businesses across five continents and dozens of industries to make on-site experiences for employees and visitors safe, secure and effortless. Today, top global brands rely on the highly customizable platform to deliver unparalleled security and an intuitive visit experience across multiple entry points. For further information, visit www.tractionguest.com.