Employees not ready to return to workplace, survey findings show

PETALING JAYA: A new survey has shown that a majority of workers across all age groups are not comfortable going back to the workplace at present.

According to Qualtrics’ “Return to Work & Back to Business Study”, from the 509 respondents in Thailand and Malaysia surveyed, 62% of workers expect to return to the workplace by July but 58% stated that a treatment or vaccine (61%) must be approved for them to feel comfortable returning to the workplace.

The firm’s head of Southeast Asia, Mao Gen Foo explained that with the lifting of lockdown measures, businesses and workplaces are reopening and returning to normal.

“But as this occurs, employers and businesses need to remember the pace with which they are re-opening might not match their employees’ or customers’ readiness to return,” he said in a press statement.

He highlighted that organisations and governments need to understand changes in employee and customer behaviours and attitudes so that it could take actions that would help them feel confident in this phase of the new normal.

“It is crucial that businesses are able to unlock insights around employee and customer confidence at each stage of the transition to drive necessary business actions.”

Among the key finding from Qualtrics’ survey, is that employees want these measures to be implemented before they feel ready to return to work; all employees to be required to wear masks (83%); hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies available throughout the office (82%); social distancing enforced (67%); temperature checks required (63%) and policies against handshakes and hugs at work (62%).

Once back at work, the survey stated that employees would feel more comfortable if their employers took the following measures; limit the number of people in an in-person work meeting (96%); employees be required to wear masks (98%); allowed to work remotely at any point if they feel unsafe (96%); everyone has their temperature checked each day before entering the building (97%) and social distancing was implemented in the workplace (97%).

Despite restrictions starting to ease, the survey highlighted that people still don’t feel confident interacting with each other and 32% think we will never “get back to normal”.

In addition, the firm also found that 73% and 71% of the respondent are uncomfortable with attending a live sporting event and live concert, respectively.

“Nearly 1 in 4 people (25%) who regularly attend sporting events said they are unlikely to attend in the foreseeable future, even once spectating is allowed,” the survey found.

Furthermore, 48% of those surveyed stated they would not be comfortable going to a live sporting event until at least January 2021 and 59% of the respondent said they would not be comfortable going to a live concert until at least January 2021.

As for restaurants and shopping, 60% of people still feel uncomfortable going to a restaurant, while 36% feel the same about shopping retail in-person.

Even after public health officials say it’s safe, and a treatment or vaccine for the virus is readily available, the respondents indicated that they want the following measures in place before they feel comfortable dining at a restaurant; tables separated at a safe distance (12%); social distancing established (12%); servers and staff to wear gloves and masks (12%) and temperatures checked before going into the restaurant (11%)

In regards to transportation, 67% and 73% of the respondents had indicated that they are uncomfortable using public transport and flying on an airplane, respectively.

source https://www.thesundaily.my/business/employees-not-ready-to-return-to-workplace-survey-findings-show-JN2618290