As many Canadians head back to their place of work, a new survey by ADP Canada and Maru/Blue, indicates a shift in attitude towards the traditional workplace. The survey found that 45 percent of working Canadians surveyed say they would prefer to work remotely at least three days a week and more than one quarter would prefer to work flex hours. Respondents, including managers and front-line employees, also said that remote work did not have a significant impact on productivity, quality of work and hours of work. While over half of employees surveyed (55%) say their employer has continued to allow remote and flexible work throughout COVID-19, it’s clear that employers have an opportunity to embrace flexible work options beyond the pandemic.

Although the findings show strong support for flexible and remote work options, 69 percent of respondents are not willing to accept reduced compensation for the changes, which, prior to the pandemic, were sometimes seen as a perk. In addition, only four percent of workers said they would would consider accepting reduced compensation to work reduced hours, for example, a four-day work week. Most Canadians surveyed (45%) also feel that remote workers have equal opportunity for job promotion and career advancement.

While over half of Canadians surveyed have already returned to the workplace (53%) most have mixed feelings about going back to their workplace – with some looking forward to returning (13%), others feeling anxious (12%), and some not wanting to return at all (15%). Of those who were feeling anxious about returning to the workplace or who did not want to return, the majority (73%) said it’s because they would  prefer to work remotely. Over half were also concerned about catching the virus (56%) and worried their employer may not take the necessary steps to protect them (30%) from COVID-19.

Although anxious, results also show most employees (84%) believe their employer has taken the necessary precautions to protect workers from COVID-19. Over two-thirds of respondents say their employer has increased sanitization and cleaning of workspaces (66%), implemented social distancing  measures (64%) or has provided protective barriers and equipment (51%).