Giving up working from home may be tough for some Canadians

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – B.C.’s COVID “restart” plan includes a recommended phased-in return to the workplace for people who have been doing their job remotely during the pandemic, but it seems some have become so attached to the work-from-home lifestyle, they don’t want to give it up.

More than eight-in-10 who responded to a survey from Leger say working remotely has been a positive experience.

About 40 per cent of Canadians who have been working at home over the past 16 months say if they had the choice, they would continue to do so, at least a few days a week.

Survey says…
40% of people working remotely at home during the pandemic would prefer to keep doing it, at least a few days a week.
35% say they'd look for a new job if their bosses ordered them back to the office
However, 20% are done with #WFH and want back full time. pic.twitter.com/VzTtMSNMu7

— Mike Lloyd (@llikemoyd) May 31, 2021

More than a third (35%) still working from home say if their bosses insisted that they come back to the office, they’d start looking for a new, more flexible job where they can work from home.

Of course, not everyone feels the same way – 20 per cent of respondents are done with working remotely and want back to the office full time.

However, 50 per cent of respondents who want to return would not be comfortable if some of their colleagues are not vaccinated against COVID-19.

Leger says about one-third of the people it surveyed have remained in the workplace fulltime over the last 16 months. Another third are still mostly or totally working from home because of the pandemic, while about 10 per cent are mostly or totally back in their workplace after being at home for a while.

Related articles: 

• Vancouver counsellor says anxiety about return to “normal” in B.C.’s restart plan is expected

• Many Canadians would rather quit than go back to the office: survey

• Why the work from home trend might not be here to stay

• Working from home reveals economic divide among Canadians

Under the four-step B.C. restart plan, employers are now encouraged to start a gradual return to workplaces but they must continue to have a COVID-19 safety plan and daily health check in place.

As early as June 15, small, in-person meetings will be allowed, depending on vaccination rates and declining case counts.

On July 1, we may see a continued return to the workplace, with seminars and bigger meetings allowed.

The fourth stage of the province’s plan will see workplaces fully reopened as early as Sept. 7.