The Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA) is pleased to announce the results of its 2021 HRPA COVID-19 Return to Workplace Survey.

With Ontario’s pandemic recovery underway, the HRPA conducted this survey to learn more about how HR professionals are preparing their businesses to return to the physical work environment. The survey found that employee wellbeing is top of mind during this transition period, with less than 6% of workplaces looking to bring employees back all at once and just under two-thirds of employers planning to permanently retain or expand remote working options.

Quick Facts:

• Employee wellbeing is top of mind: 45.7% of survey respondents choosing employee wellness and mental health as their top concern regarding return to workplace planning, closely followed by transitioning employees back to their primary workplace (45.6%).
• Major shifts regarding remote work:
  • Prior to the pandemic, 52.5% of respondents did not have a remote work or flex work policy (57.5% stating that they created or changed their policies since the pandemic began).
  • In contrast, 64.2% of respondents now say their organizations are planning to permanently retain or expand remote working options, while 26% are still unsure of their plans.
• Vaccinations: 74.6% are planning to make vaccination voluntary for employees, with 19.7% stating that there will be restrictions for those who are not vaccinated.
• Employee return: Only 5.6% of respondents plan to bring all their employees back to the workplace at once, with most organizations considering employees coming back in phases (28.8%), staggering employee days in the workplace (24.5%), or a hybrid model.
• The survey was conducted between May 21 to May 27, 2021, with over 800 participants sharing their insights into how their organizations are planning for the future of work.

The key findings report is available here.