Many employees don’t believe companies will be as flexible with schedules post pandemic

By

Published June 10, 2021 at 10:43 am

With more Canadians getting vaccinated every day, many feel a return to normalcy is on the horizon.

However, with the pandemic having forced an upheaval for many businesses, some workers expect certain aspects introduced during the pandemic to stick around after it has ended.

According to a recent survey from Randstad Canada, 60 per cent of Canadians expect greater support from managers, and flexibility with respect to where and when they work from workplaces post pandemic.

However, according to the findings, only 26 per cent of Ontarians believe their company will implement flexible hours after the pandemic is over.

Additionally, 42 per cent of respondents said they enjoy working remotely because it affords them a better work-life balance, while 26 per cent said they enjoy not having to commute, and 18 per cent said it gave them more control over their schedule.

Further, the pandemic has also forced a change in leadership styles for 82 per cent of managers—34 per cent said they are more flexible now than before the pandemic, and 28 per cent said they’re taking more time to check in one-on-one with their employees.

“In the past year, successful leaders have led with empathy. They’ve recognized and acknowledged their employees’ challenges, as well as their own, and in sharing their own experiences, they have been able to build deeper levels of trust and respect,” Dominic Lévesque, group president for Randstad Canada, said in a news release.

Moreover, the pandemic has forced a culture shift among many companies—61 per cent of respondents said the shift to working remotely has changed their company’s culture, and 47 per cent said it has become harder to connect with their company’s corporate values.

“Culture is not about where people work, but how they work together and what they are working toward,” Lévesque said. “To thrive amid these new ways of working, organizations need to invest in workplace culture and ensure remote workers are as integrated and included as hybrid and in-office workers, while finding ways to create social engagement across the three work modes.”

insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising