While the majority of Canadian employees said they remain loyal to their employers, they’re divided when it comes to returning to the workplace, according to a new survey by ADP Canada Co.
The survey found nearly a third (28 per cent) of respondents said their loyalty to their employer has increased because of their company’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. Interestingly, women were more likely (33 per cent) to cite increased loyalty toward their employer than men (23 per cent).
Loyalty to employers also remained strong among unemployed Canadians, with nearly half (47 per cent) of those respondents who lost their jobs due to the coronavirus anticipating returning to work with their previous employers.
Read: 41% of Canadian businesses have laid off staff due to coronavirus: Stats Can
The survey also found tangible impacts on workplace operations. Employees said their workplaces have increased access to health and safety measures (74 per cent) and new technology (38 per cent), but nearly half (46 per cent) also reported seeing an increase in their workloads.
In addition, more than half (51 per cent) said the coronavirus has negatively impacted company revenue and 36 per cent said it’s decreased the number of employees at their workplace. The top four industries reporting negative impacts on revenue are: retail, food and hospitality; construction and trades; manufacturing, resources, agricultural or field services; and business and professional services.
“While loyalty to employers remains strong, there’s no doubt that COVID-19 will have lasting impacts on the workforce,” said Heather Haslam, vice-president of marketing at ADP Canada, in a news release. “Our series of insight surveys have shown that most employers have adapted swiftly in addition to adopting measures to protect their workforce. Employers can increase the likelihood of retaining their workforce by being transparent about changes, staying empathetic, supportive and informed by soliciting regular feedback from employees and continuing to prioritize employee health and safety.”
Read: Majority of Canadian workers feel safe at work: survey
In terms of the return to the workplace, about a third of survey respondents said they’re looking forward to returning, while 21 per cent said they’re not ready to go back to their place of work. These feelings were particularly common among women (29 per cent) compared to men (14 per cent). As well, 11 per cent of all respondents said that, while they’re ready to return to the workplace, they aren’t confident their employer will have the proper measures in place to protect their safety.
“Across Canada, most workers are entitled to refuse what they reasonably believe is unsafe work without fearing punishment. Workers do not need to prove they are at risk to initiate an unsafe work refusal,” said Natalka Haras, ADP Canada’s legal counsel, in the release. “When addressing a work refusal, it is crucial that an employer diligently follows the investigative and reporting process in the applicable legislation.”
Read: Remote working, distributed workforces could be part of new normal post-coronavirus