Back to the Workplace: Are we there yet? Key Insights from Employers One Year Into the Pandemic
ASU WORKPLACE COMMONS - PHASE 2 SURVEY I 1
April 2021
Authors
Nathaniel L. Wade, PhD Arizona State University, College of Health Solutions
Mara G. Aspinall, MBA Arizona State University, College of Health Solutions
Acknowledgements The ASU COVID-19 Workplace Commons and the information and insights provided in this report are possible because of the generous time and talents of many individuals and organizations. In particular, we would like to thank members of ASU’s Decision Theater including Sri Kandala, Ramesh Gorantla, Erzhena Soktoeva, Ana Hernandez, Krishna Kesani, Manjeshwar Padakannaya, Keren Hirsch, DeAnn Fedyski and Jon Miller for their tireless work and dedication to this project. We would also like to thank Genya Dana and Cameron Fox from the World Economic Forum for partnering with us to create the Employer Survey and providing Employer Case Studies. Next, we truly appreciate the team from Ipsos for providing support with global survey deployment. In addition, we would like to acknowledge and thank the following organizations for sharing the survey with their members: the Milken Institute, the National Broadcast Association, the National Safety Council, Professional Assist Corporation and the Tucson Chamber of Commerce. As the Project Manager for the ASU COVID Commons, Monica Lovato was instrumental in outreach and compiling research to support this report. We are grateful for the leadership and support from Dean Deborah Helitzer and our colleagues within the College of Health Solutions especially Marcus Jones for his expertise 2 I ASU WORKPLACE COMMONS - PHASE 2 SURVEY
with the survey software system, Jonathan Kurka for data validation and quality control and Leo Pardo and the ASU College of Health Solutions’ Marketing and Communications team for their unwavering devotion throughout this initiative. We would like to thank Shaun Brenton at the ASU Foundation for leveraging ASU’s networks and partnerships to share the survey. Finally, we would like to thank Jonathan Quick, Andrew Sweet, Estelle Willie, Ashley Chang and Leah Perkinson at The Rockefeller Foundation for their insights and support throughout this project.
degree is the only program of its kind worldwide and is designed to address the role of diagnostics in research, clinical decision making and policy. Students, faculty and staff work together toward a common goal of improving health outcomes by optimizing health and human performance across the lifespan and addressing systems of health care and health needs of populations. Our graduates are uniquely prepared to make an impact in the health workforce and shift the focus of health from sickness to wellness. Visit chs.asu.edu to learn more about how we are reimagining the future of health.
All views expressed are solely those of the authors.
About World Economic Forum The World Economic Forum is the international organization for public-private cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. It was established in 1971 as a not-for-profit foundation and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. It is independent, impartial and not tied to any special interests.
Funding This report was funded by The Rockefeller Foundation.
Disclosures Mara G. Aspinall is an independent board member for the following public companies: Abcam, Allscripts, Castle Biosciences, OraSure and BlueCross BlueShield Arizona; and receives fees for serving as an advisor to The Rockefeller Foundation. About ASU’s College of Health Solutions The College of Health Solutions translates health research and discovery into practice and prepares students to address the challenges facing people to stay healthy, improve their health and manage chronic disease. We offer programs in biomedical informatics and biomedical diagnostics; kinesiology, sports and exercise science; health care delivery; nutrition; population health; and speech and hearing science. The college’s online master of science in biomedical diagnostics
About The Rockefeller Foundation The Rockefeller Foundation advances new frontiers of science, data, and innovation to solve global challenges related to health, food, power, and economic mobility. As a science-driven philanthropy focused on building collaborative relationships with partners and grantees, The Rockefeller Foundation seeks to inspire and foster large-scale human impact that promotes the well-being of humanity throughout the world by identifying and accelerating breakthrough solutions, ideas, and conversations. For more information, sign up for our newsletter at rockefellerfoundation.org and follow us on Twitter @RockefellerFdn.
Executive Summary The COVID-19 pandemic has altered every aspect of our lives – how we live, how we interact and how we work. It has taken a toll on the financial, emotional, mental and physical health of individuals, families, friends and colleagues. Our phones and computers became our life lines. Our homes became the workplace, the school, the daycare – a place of safety but isolation. Work continues to play a central role in the lives of so many adults, so we wanted to understand how employers are reacting to the pandemic – what is changing, what is not – the good, the bad and the ugly. In the very beginning of the pandemic, employers did not play an active role on a national scale. Policy was made by government and public health organizations. The medical establishment dominated the headlines on how businesses should keep their employees safe. Most employers that could have their employees work
from home allowed the employees to do just that. But that is changing. Employers are becoming more relevant and vocal on how they prepare their workforce, customers, suppliers and their community to return to the workplace. Retailers and service industries led the way as they did not have as many options for Work From Home. But, by the second quarter 2021, all employers are becoming more proactive. They are expanding their formal policies on how and when they will come together in person and clarifying their expectations. This report, Back to the Workplace - Are we there yet?, features results from the second survey in a three-part series within the ASU Workplace Commons initiative which features an innovative, interactive back-to-workplace data dashboard that enables access to anonymized survey data from both phase 1 (fall 2020) and phase 2 (spring 2021) surveys. Responses to the survey came
from employers in 24 industry sectors and 1,339 facilities at 1,168 companies. Approximately 75% of responses are from large businesses with 250 or more employees and 95% of responses coming from companies based in the U.S. and U.K. The report provides employer data about the impact of the pandemic on six different types of pandemic-related workplace practices including testing and contact tracing, vaccination, employee wellbeing, pandemic response and preparedness, financial impact and the future of work. In addition, the ASU Workplace Commons houses a number of employer case studies that provide practical insights into how employers around the world are responding to the pandemic. As the pandemic and employer responses continue to evolve, we will field one additional survey and publish the results during the summer of 2021.
ASU WORKPLACE COMMONS - PHASE 2 SURVEY I 3
Top 10 Insights Vaccination Strong Support by Employers • 88% of employers plan to require or encourage their employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 • 59% of employers plan to incentivize their employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 • 60% of employers will require employees to demonstrate proof of vaccination against COVID-19
Employee Wellbeing Mental Health is now Central • 77% of employers indicated that employee mental health and wellbeing has become a top priority for their company • 58% increase in employee mental health concerns during the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic according to employers C T
Testing Significant Increase by Employers • 68% of employers are performing COVID-19 testing for at least some of their employees
Work from Home Here to Stay • 63% of employers intend to allow their employees to work from home full-time through 2021 • 69% of employers describe their anticipated future work environment as either hybrid (41%) or all virtual (28%) • 72% of employers intend to offer more flexible or expanded work from home policies for their employees post-pandemic • But … 68% of employers believe that employees should be in the office at least 20 hours per week
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Methodology The COVID-19 Workplace Commons - Keeping Workers Well survey was distributed to more than 28,800 individuals, companies, and trade association leaders aged 18+ from 24 industry sectors residing in at least 31 countries on six continents. The survey was conducted online between March 1, 2021 and March 31, 2021 in English and approved by Arizona State University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB). The survey contained 105 questions within seven broad categories including facility/company location and industry sector, testing and contact tracing, vaccination, employee wellbeing, the future of work, pandemic response and preparedness and financial impact. Respondents were informed that their participation would remain anonymous and confidential and were given the ability to skip any question within the survey. Ipsos, a global leader in market research, assisted with securing a majority of survey responses, resulting in 1280 completions through the use of multiple panels across various industry sectors in English-speaking countries with an emphasis on companies located in the U.S. or U.K with at least 250 employees. An identical publicly available survey resulted in 59 completions. Excluding responses with less than 90% completion rate, the survey resulted in 1,339 valid responses. Survey data were examined, including categorization of qualitative responses (e.g. ‘Other - please specify’) and transformation of variables for areas like industry sector and dates. ASU’s Decision Theater summarized results and the data featured on the COVID-19 Workplace Commons website dashboard represents valid responses.
Survey Overview Top10 industries represented in rank order (Left-Right)
Technology and Software
Business + Manufacturing Professional Services (Accounting, Brokers, Corporate Banking, Legal, etc.)
Construction
Healthcare, Hospitals, and Clinics
Retail Stores
Government and Quasi-Public
Education (Pre-K to 12)
Education (Colleges & Universities)
Energy & Utilities
EUROPE
NORTH AMERICA AFRICA
ASIA
SOUTH AMERICA AUSTRALIA
6 Continents
24 Industries
31 Countries
1,168 Companies
1,339 Facilities
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Vaccination There are three ways to end a pandemic – the virus burns itself out, it becomes endemic and we live with COVID-19 like we live with the flu or we achieve herd immunity through vaccines or prior infection. The great news is that effective vaccines were developed in record time. The COVID-19 vaccines were developed within one year where previous vaccines took seven to ten years to create. The advent of vaccines and their rapid distribution, however, raises questions and concerns that many employers are grappling with for the first time. Our survey showed surprisingly high support for vaccination with almost 90% of employers planning to require or at least encourage their employees to get vaccinated. Our survey asked employers their stance on a variety of other issues related to COVID-19 vaccination and their employees, and their responses indicate that vaccination is perceived as significantly important for keeping the workplace and their employees safe.
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59%
84%
61%
60%
Plan to incentivize employees to be vaccinated
Plan to change safety mitigation measures once broad vaccination is achieved
Would allow vaccinations to be administered to employees at their facility
Will require employees to demonstrate proof of vaccination
Companies’ policies for employees regarding COVID-19 vaccination 1%
Of employers will require or encourage vaccination for employees
40%
Require all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19
32%
Encourage but not require employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19
8%
We don’t have a policy developed at this time
16%
Require some employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19
4%
27%
44%
What are the consequences for lack of compliance with vaccination policy? 31% 15% • Change of work responsibilities • Disciplanary action up to termination • No Consequences • Not allowed to return to the physical work environment • Other
We don’t plan to encourage or require our employees to be to be vaccinated against COVID-19
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Testing & Contact Tracing Test their workers
31%
Test only for viral infection
5%
Test only for antibodies
59% Test for both
Testing remains the most effective way to measure and confirm the success of virus mitigation efforts including vaccination. It is in this area where we saw the most dramatic change in employer behavior. In our earlier study in the fall of 2020, we saw 17% of companies testing any of their employees. Although the fall study had smaller companies on average, we were surprised, but pleased, to see a dramatic increase. In this study, we saw a full 68% of companies reporting that they were testing at least some part of their workforce. Why the big increase in testing? First, the test supply situation has fundamentally changed since the end of 2020. In the spring of 2021, it became relatively easy to acquire tests and hire testing service providers. There are more labs and companies with EUA’s and most have enough capacity that there are few shortages. For labbased tests, results are most often returned within 48 hours, often faster. For rapid tests, performance including pros and cons are better understood. Second, with this competition and improved technologies, the cost to test has dramatically decreased. Lastly, and maybe most importantly, knowledge of how a testing program can work has increased confidence amongst employers that testing can be integrated without too much disruption.
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Reasons why companies choose not to test*
Too costly
Too complicated to implement
22%
19%
18%
15%
13%
11%
Worried about employee privacy
Other
Concerned about test accuracy
Worried about liability
Time to obtain test results
17%
Test availability
Lack of knowledge or information
* Multiple responses are allowed • The above distribution represents 68% of companies that test their workers
Future plans for companies who aren’t testing
36% 34% Uncertain
Don’t test and don’t plan to test ASU WORKPLACE COMMONS - PHASE 2 SURVEY I 9
Viral Testing 826
73%
(91%)
Companies that test for viral infection
72%
Companies with mandatory testing
Companies that test at least once a week
What was the most important factor in you choosing a test provider? 44%
Quality of tests 21%
Tests were available 16%
Test result turn around time Government recommended
13%
Price
3%
Colleague recommended
3%
How frequently are you performing viral testing? Once a week
29% 13% Daily
Once a month
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7%
Only when symptomatic
6%
Twice a month
1%
One time only
1% Other
Viral vs. Antibody Testing What are the future plans for Maintain testing at current levels Increase testing Reduce testing Not sure Stop testing
Viral Testing 44% 42% 10% 2% 1%
Viral
Antibody Testing 38% 48% 9% 1% 3% Antibody
8%
10%
9% 12%
14%
What are the consequences for lack of compliance if viral testing is mandatory?
What are the consequences for lack of compliance if antibody testing is mandatory?
46%
49%
29% 23% • 10-14 day quarantine at home • Change of work responsibilities • Disciplinary action up to termination • No consequences • There are no company testing requirements
• 10-14 week quarantine at home • Change of work responsibilities • Disciplinary action up to termination • There are no company testing requirements
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Viral vs. Antibody Testing Viral Costs represented as median
1:1
Direct to indirect cost ratio for viral tests
34%
Workers that tested positive
Where are your workers being tested?* Health testing laboratory
37% On site at our facility
29%
Local/regional hospital
* Multiple responses are allowed
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21%
Retail pharmacy
12% Academic or university site
9% At home
Antibody Costs represented as median
1:1
Direct to indirect cost ratio for antibody test
41%
Workers that tested positive
Where are your workers being tested?* Health testing laboratory
40%
Local/regional hospital
25% On site at our facility
15% Academic or university site
9% At home
* Multiple responses are allowed
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Contact Tracing Companies that perform contact tracing
Are you tracing worker contacts outside of the workplace?
65% 31% 4% Yes
No
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Unsure
What requirements does COVID positive worker need to meet to return to workplace?* 10-14 day quarantine at home
29% One negative viral test
29% Two negative viral tests
11% No symptoms for a week
5%
No requirements
* Multiple responses are allowed
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Employee Wellbeing Of employers indicated that employee mental health wellbeing has become a top priority for their company It is almost too obvious to say that everyone’s health and wellbeing has been impacted by the pandemic. While physical health has taken the center stage, mental health is now being acknowledged as every bit a crisis as well. Loneliness, depression and anxiety are present in every demographic. Work has been central to those challenges – too little work for some and too much work for others. Our survey focused on five key areas of employee wellbeing: mental health, burnout, productivity, morale and engagement. The goal was to understand employers’ perceptions of how their employees’ wellbeing changed during the pandemic. The good news is that employers understand. More than three-quarters said that employee mental health is now a top priority. More than half of employers reported an increase in the use of available company resources related to mental health. Perhaps, most impressive however is that through all of this stress, employers reported employee engagement and morale increased by over 40%. The bottom line for us is that so many are working so hard to keep it all together – to balance work, family, friends and even some fun. For the most part, it has worked, but we are not sure how much longer that balancing act can last.
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How Employee Wellbeing Changed During the Pandemic Compared to Pre-Pandemic Mental Health Concerns
Engagement
57.8% 11.1%
51.8% 19.6%
Burnout
Productivity
50.6% 14.1%
46.8% 19.5%
Morale Increased Decreased
44.3% 26.3%
Of employers reported an increase in the use of available company resources related to mental health since the pandemic began How Employee Wellbeing Changed During the Pandemic Compared to Pre-Pandemic Mental Health Concerns
24%
34%
9%
Productivity
2%
22%
26%
15%
17%
3%
Burnout
Engagement
26%
25%
4%
20%
31%
11%
3%
Increased Significantly
Increased Slightly
Decreased Slightly
Decreased Significantly
Morale
21%
23%
21%
5%
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Future of Work Overview Intend to offer flexible or expanded work from home policies post-pandemic
68%
Believe employees should be in the office at least 20 hours a week
63%
Intend to allow employees to work from home full-time through 2021
How will the pandemic change our work life in the future? Will it improve? The answer is clearly in the eyes of the beholder. Our survey showed that the “Work From Home” phenomenon will not end soon and will not end as abruptly as it began. Companies reported that 57% of their employees are still remote and almost two-thirds of employers plan to allow their employees to remain remote through 2021. Yet employers understand the value of people coming together under one roof – over two-thirds of global employers believe that employees should be in the office at least 20 hours per week citing their top reason as it allows for social connections to be formed and maintained amongst colleagues. Interestingly, the most commonly cited challenge by employers for not returning to the physical workspace is that employees did not want to return, and they indicated that personal health and facility safety were the top concerns of their workforce.
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Reasons why companies think employees should be in the office at least 20 hours a week Allows for social connections to be created and maintained
17%
16%
12%
10%
10%
7%
3%
3%
Ensures employee productivity
Encourages teambuilding
Allows for spontaneous idea sharing and problem solving
Ensure use of facility
Contributes to creating and defining company culture
Provides ability to monitor employee performance
Develops social skills needed when interacting with clients
Ensures proper training and mentoring of new employees
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Future of Work Overview Describe your anticipated work environment in the future Hybrid
(Combination of virtual and physical)
32% Physical
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28% Virtual
Companies future plans for their physical workspace Keep as is
27% 14% Downsize
Decrease size of physical workspace
4%
No longer offer a physical workspace
The most challenging issues companies are facing in regards to returning employees to the physical work environment in rank order:
1
Employees not wanting to return to in-person work
2
Safety of employees
3
Cost of making workspace safe for employees
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Coming Back and Remote Work Positive attitude towards returning
69%
Highest % of remote employees during pandemic
57%
Current % of remote employees
When do you expect your workforce to come back to work onsite?
9%
31%
12%
12%
The next month
Longer than six months
The next three months
Not sure
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35% The next six months
28%
Negative attitude towards returning
What are worker’s concerns about returning?*
60%
Personal health / Higher risk for infection
58% 31% 27% 2% Safety at facility
Childcare
Transportation to facility
Other
* Multiple responses are allowed
Primary concern about coming back Personal health / High risk for infection
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Coming Back and Remote Work What milestones need to occur in order for you to return workforce to work onsite?* When government or health agency allows
46% 36% 35% When all of our workforce is vaccinated
Decreasing cases in the community
When a majority of our workforce is vaccinated
30% 24% 8% When we have testing protocols in place
When we have planned safety measures in place
* Multiple responses are allowed
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Predetermined time
What is the overall workforce’s opinion about returning back to the workplace? They want to return eventually but not immediately
23% 15% 14% They are reluctant to return
They want to return immediately
5%
3%
They do not want to return
They wanted to return earlier than possible
No feedback
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Pandemic Response & Preparedness Actions Companies that made temporary adjustments
How long do you expect temporary actions to last?
15%
26%
28%
15%
10%
7%
The next month
Longer than six months
The next three months
Not sure
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The next six months
Not applicable
Companies that made permanent adjustments
Reduction in workforce
Hiring freeze
Top permanent action taken due to financial pressures
Top temporary action taken due to financial pressures
What actions have you taken?*
(Permanent / Temporary)
38%/29%
34%/37%
29%/25%
25%/25%
23%/25%
21%/19%
18%/19%
18%/15%
16%/11%
15%/0%
14%/9%
13%/13%
13%/10%
8%/6%
2%/2%
Reduction in workforce
Closure
Increased salary for hourly workers
Hiring freeze
Rescinding job offers
Reduced pay for non-management workers
Reduced hours for hourly workers
Reduced internship opportunities
Increased hiring
Executive / management pay cuts
Bonuses or other incentives
Increased salary for non-management workers
Furloughs
Changes in employee health benefits
Other
* Multiple responses are allowed
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Pandemic Response & Preparedness Preparedness Plan was very useful in response to COVID-19
Had emergency response plan in 2019 There is no surprise that few companies were fully prepared for a pandemic. Our research confirmed that while the majority of companies acknowledged that they have some emergency plans, only half had prepared for an epidemic or pandemic. This unprecedented challenge was new but by proactively developing emergency response plans, over half of employers indicated that these plans were very useful in their current response. It seems to be broadly acknowledged that despite still being in the throes of this current pandemic, the opportunity exists now to proactively plan and prepare for future pandemics. Employers can, and we expect will, play a more critical role in the future by collaborating and sharing their collective successes and failures during this pandemic to prepare for the next one. The ASU Workplace Commons initiative provides case studies from our partner, the World Economic Forum, that share approaches to workplace safety and business continuity from around the world.
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Have these plans been useful for responding to the COVID-19 pandemic?
Very useful
28% 15% 6% Mostly useful
Somewhat useful
Not at all useful
What type of emergency plans did those companies have?*
Fire
53% 49% 49% Natural disaster
Loss of power
Active shooter
48% 29% 2% Epidemic / pandemic
Civil unrest
Other
* Multiple responses are allowed
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Financial impact Over 25% increase in operating costs (excluding testing) due to the pandemic Keeping workers and customers safe is imperative but also comes at a significant cost – direct and indirect. For direct costs – nearly half of respondents reported over 25% increases in operating costs due to the pandemic with masks being the top one-time incurred expense. The indirect costs and loss of revenue varies broadly by industry. However, the most common response amongst all industries as a result of the economic disruption were temporary and permanent reductions in their workforce as well as hiring freezes.
Not including testing, what one-time costs have you incurred?* 71%
Masks
67%
Hand sanitizer 54%
Gloves Cleaning supplies
52% 36%
Facility upgrades (other than ventilation)
34%
Plexiglass barriers Technological resources (hardware, software, apps...) Other forms of PPE
27% 25% 16%
Consultation for risk management Marketing/Communication None of the above Other
14% 4% 1% * Multiple responses are allowed
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Visit: ASUCovidcommons.com Contact us: CHSCovid@asu.edu
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