By the end of July, the trend of workers feeling more comfortable returning to work began to reverse. After reaching 73% three weeks ago, the share of workers who said they “definitely feel comfortable” returning to the office currently stands at only 55% partway through August, according to data analytics firm Morning Consult. That’s the lowest it’s been since the end of the first quarter.
The main contributing factor is the renewed uncertainty surrounding the future of COVID-19 and its variants. Employers have expressed the desire for employees to be back in-office in some capacity, with 84% of executives surveyed saying they preferred at least two days a week to be on-site. Culture and collaboration are undoubtedly better fostered in-person, however companies are going to have to continue to find ways to achieve these remotely as health worries continue to rise again.
The “Big 3” of Apple, Amazon, and Google have all pushed their return-to-work mandates back, along with many other big companies, and we expect this trend to continue.
