Working Through Covid-19: Return to Work Working Through COVID-19: Return to Work Survey

Return to Work Survey

Clothing and department stores account for 17 per cent of total retail sales, which has remained constant over time. After four years of contraction, employment rebounded in the first two quarters of 2019. Both British Columbia and Ontario have seen relatively constant growth since 2010. Quebec’s share of clothing and department store retail has been sliding since 2010, likely due to the province’s population aging more rapidly than the Canadian average. Large retailers continue to close stores, with Gap, Home Outfitters (Hudson’s Bay), and J.Crew all expected to close locations in Canada in 2019. Fast-fashion giant Forever 21 will shutter all 44 of its Canadian locations by the end of the year. The industry has been challenging for both very small and very large players, with significant declines in the number of businesses with fewer than 10 employees and more than 100 employees since 2015. By contrast, there are now 1,000 additional Canadian clothing and retail stores with 10 to 19 employees.

The median annual income for sales representatives is $17,800, while for cashiers it is $9,900. Together, they represent half of the industry’s workforce. Since the industry relies on low-wage workers, recent minimum wage increases in Ontario and Alberta have put upward pressure on operating costs. Ontario’s retail trade employees saw a 5.2 per cent increase in wages between December 2017 and April 2018

GDP growth is expected to be weak, averaging just under 2 per cent from 2020 to 2024. This is due to larger economic trends that affect Canadians’ wealth—higher debt levels, rising interest rates, and weaker home prices. Employment will enjoy a strong boost this year, growing 8.5 per cent in 2019. However, this will be short-lived. A 2.1 per cent decline is in the cards for 2020, and little to no growth is expected between 2021 and 2024.

As provinces move to ease restrictions, Canadian organizations must consider a return of their employees to physical workplaces. With COVID-19 still active, what will this shift look like, and how prepared are employers for the risks? How will this impact working arrangements in the long term? The Conference Board of Canada asked organizations across the country how they’re planning to bring employees back to physical workplaces, and what measures they are putting in place.

Note: Survey responses were collected on Monday, May 11, 2020. These findings are part of a Conference Board series on work and pay during the COVID-19 pandemic. Stay tuned for updates as this situation evolves.

Working Through COVID-19

Few organizations fully prepared to reopen workplaces

Q: When governments lift restrictions related to your location(s) and/or industry, how prepared is your organization to reopen workplaces?

(n = 279; percentage of organizations)

Note: Total does not add to 100 due to rounding. Source: The Conference Board of Canada.

Want more info? Explore more topics in our ongoing Working Through COVID-19 series.

Here’s what we found.

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Q: As restrictions ease but the pandemic remains active, what is your organization’s approach to bringing employees currently working remotely back to the workplace?

Note: Total does not add to 100 due to rounding. Source: The Conference Board of Canada.

(n = 286; percentage of organizations)

Organizations flexible on remote workers’ return

More than half of employers will be screening employees with a questionnaire upon arrival; 1 in 4 will also be temperature screening.

In the event of a site outbreak or a second wave of the pandemic, 28 per cent already have a plan in place for a workplace re-exit. A further 62 per cent are in the process of developing a plan.

Required to continue working remotely full-time

Required to return to workplace in some capacity

Required to return to workplace full-time

40%

27%

30%

Employee's choice

May 19, 2020

Amanda Holmes

Kelsey Coburn

Senior Research Associate

Research Associate

Despite only a small portion of employers currently fully prepared to reopen, 40 per cent will require employees currently working remotely to return to the workplace in some capacity. This is most common in transportation and warehousing, where 58 per cent of employers have taken this approach. Not surprisingly, approximately half of organizations in educational services, as well as in health care and social assistance, will be calling employees back to the workplace. Public and private sector organizations are taking similar approaches, with roughly 40 per cent of organizations in both sectors bringing employees back to work in some capacity.

Throughout the pandemic, many employees have been working remotely. With easing restrictions, employers must consider whether they will be calling these employees back to the workplace.

Most organizations will ask employees at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19 to remain home. Risk factors include a weakened immune system, age above 65, and underlying medical conditions such as heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. Only half of employers will allow employees not comfortable returning to the workplace to stay home.

Q: Which of the following conditions would exempt employees from returning to the workplace?

Note: Total does not add to 100 as more than one response could be selected. Source: The Conference Board of Canada.

(n = 272; percentage of organizations)

At risk? Stay away

Note: Totals may not add to 100 due to rounding. Sample size indicates the number of organizations that gave a response for at least one of the above options. Source: The Conference Board of Canada.

(n = 288; percentage of organizations)

Phased approach is top choice for return to the workplace

With restrictions lifting and workplaces starting to reopen, major concerns among employers include ensuring appropriate physical distancing and the potential for a site outbreak. Therefore, it is not surprising that the majority of organizations are bringing employees back in phases and restricting the number of people on site. Once on site, employee safety will be a top priority. To see what measures employers will have in place, click the tab below.

Q: For employees who are coming back to the workplace, how are you managing their return?

For organizations with unionized employees, employers and unions must work together on approaches to bring employees back into the workplace. From the employers’ perspective, most organizations are indicating some degree of alignment with their union partners.

Q: If your organization has unionized employees, how aligned is your organization with the union(s) on the approach to the reopening of workplaces?

Source: The Conference Board of Canada.

(n = 142; percentage of organizations)

Employers signal alignment with unions on reopening plans

A mix of safety measures in the works

Source: The Conference Board of Canada.

Note: Totals may not add to 100 due to rounding. Sample size indicates the number of organizations that gave a response for at least one of the above options.

(n = 291; percentage of organizations)

Q: Is your organization implementing any of the following measures to ensure employees’ safety while at the workplace?

What does this mean for long-term work arrangements?

The degree to which employees will continue working remotely post-pandemic remains to be seen. We asked organizations about their approach to remote work pre- and post-pandemic. Many indicated a shift to remote work.

Q: Which of the following best reflects your organization’s remote work approach pre- and post-pandemic?

Note: Totals may not add to 100 due to rounding. Source: The Conference Board of Canada.

(n = 288; percentage of organizations)

A shift in practice

Plan for return

Safety measures

Plan for return

Click here

Only of organizations are fully prepared to reopen workplaces

Some employees will be exempt from returning, even if they cannot perform their jobs remotely.