Report: How COVID-19 is transforming employees’ workplace expectations

Eighty-one percent of workers say they should be allowed to work from home during the pandemic until they feel comfortable to return.

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If you’re on the edge of your seat with excitement about returning to a business-as-usual workplace, you might want to ease back into that home office swivel chair.

The Institute for Public Relations (IPR) has released the results of a new survey it conducted with The Harris Poll exploring how employee expectations are changing due to COVID-19.

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The survey of 831 adults who work full time reveals a handful of key findings, including these takeaways:

1. Most employees want to get rid of open-office layouts.

Eighty percent of respondents say employers should move toward sectioned-off offices and phase out open-space offices. The report also states, “Seventy-eight percent said employers should stagger when employees are allowed to work from the office to ensure social distancing.”

Could COVID-19 bring an end to the open-office concept? No one knows for sure, but it’s not looking good for desk clump enthusiasts right now.

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