Nearly half of businesses whose workplace plans were upended by the latest Covid-19 waves have not communicated plans for returning to the physical workplace, according to a workforce survey released by The Conference Board.
The survey of more than 2,000 US workers also found that only 9% of employees are currently working in the office full time. In addition, concerns about contracting Covid and exposing family members have doubled over the last seven months.
“Amid the vast uncertainty with returning to the workplace, coupled with the strong discomfort many feel about returning, these results make clear: This relentless pandemic continues to dictate workplace plans and policies,” said Rebecca Ray, executive VP, human capital, The Conference Board.
Plans to quit. One in 10 workers surveyed intend to leave their organizations in the next six months. Better pay (45%), career advancement (39%) and the ability to work from anywhere (28%) remain the top reasons workers left or intend to leave their jobs. Only 7% cited concerns over vaccine mandates as the reason they left or intend to leave, and millennials left or plan to leave their jobs at nearly three times the rate of baby boomers
Employee engagement. Decreasing engagement levels affect more workers — especially women, individual contributors and millennials. The research found 24% report decreased levels of engagement. This is up from 19% in August 2021 and 15% in May 2021, demonstrating a steady decline in engagement levels over the past eight months. Individual contributors report declines in engagement levels at nearly three times the rate of CEOs.
Mental health. Women disproportionately self-reported their mental health declined during the pandemic. Women reported their mental health declined during the pandemic at a higher rate than men at 54% and 41% respectively. Millennials and Gen Xers report a deterioration of their mental health more than baby boomers.
“The need for continued flexibility, transparency and empathy from management remains a top priority,” Ray said. “While many are eager to return to a sense of normalcy, simply mandating a return date and highlighting the safety protocols that will be in place is not enough; leaders need to articulate a compelling reason to return to the workplace at all.”