The IT Nerd

New research from Citrix revealed that 75% of Canadian workers would like to be given the option of working at home or at the office once the pandemic ends. But if remote work is here to stay, then companies must ensure they are creating a corporate culture that promotes physical and mental wellbeing and offer greater flexibility in the way their employees work.  

According to the study, a majority of Canadian employees want to continue some form of remote work upon return to the office, but working from home has taken a toll on them. Forty-nine per cent (49%) of Canadian office workers declared that their physical wellbeing was worse or much worse since the onset of the pandemic, and 57% said the same regarding their mental wellbeing. 

Company Culture Matters

As a result of the negative impact the past year has taken on employees, Canadian office workers are seeing great value in working for a company whose culture promotes the upkeep of physical and mental wellbeing; as almost all of those surveyed (97%) declared that a company that promotes wellbeing matters to them.

Company culture can be reinforced by many different departments or positions within a company (management, HR, IT), yet none seem to have risen to the levels of support that their workforces feel is required. Of those surveyed, only 23% felt very supported by their organization as a whole, with 32% feeling very supported by their management, 22% feeling very supported by their IT department, and 16% feeling very supported by their HR department. 

When asked what factors play into establishing and maintaining a good company culture, 71% felt that leadership is the most important factor, followed by 43% that felt that flexible work environments and schedules can contribute positively to the culture of a company.    

A Hybrid Return to the Office

Despite the difficulties they experienced working remotely, most employees still want to keep doing it.  When asked what their feelings were towards continuing to work remotely, 58% of respondents said they would like a hybrid model where they can choose whether to work remotely or from the office each day, 17% have no interest in returning to an office; while only 16% stated they would like to return to working in an office each day. 

Remote work has also now become a main factor when employees are looking for new employment or deciding to stay in their current role. Sixty-three per cent (63%) of employees agreed that they would only accept a new job if it offered flexible or remote work options, and most surprisingly, 38% would accept up to a 20% reduction in pay compared to what they are making now if the new role offered remote work models. Overwhelmingly, 73% of employees agreed that businesses will lose out on talent if they don’t offer flexible or remote work. 

Methodology:

The poll – commissioned by Citrix and conducted by OnePoll – questioned 500 Canadian office workers, asking about their views on their current working situation, company culture, and the impact of the pandemic on their wellbeing, career and work/life balance. The poll was conducted between February 2, 2021 and February 15, 2021.