When will people be comfortable going back to work?

With more than half (53 per cent) of downtown Toronto workers working from home during the pandemic, many are looking for assurances before they return to work.

So, what would make people comfortable about returning to work downtown?

• “Feeling it is safe from a public health perspective to be on location in the workplace.” (83 per cent) 
• “Knowing in advance from my employer what is and is not expected of employees when it comes to working on location.” (83 per cent)
• “Feeling it is safe from a public health perspective to be in the public spaces in the building where the employee works.” (82 per cent)
• “Feeling it is safe from a public health perspective to be in the workplace neighbourhood.” (81 per cent)
• “Feeling it is safe from a public health perspective to travel to work.” (80 per cent)
• “Understanding the penalties for those who break the public health rules.” (79 per cent)

While roughly three-quarters of U.S. workers want daily cleaning of their workplace amid the pandemic, even more want an extra layer of defence these days – disinfecting, according to a separate report.

Downtown preferences

Almost two-thirds (64 per cent) of those working remotely full time are office workers, finds the survey of 507 workers by Nanos.

Asked what they like about working in downtown Toronto, workers cite: the vibe/energy/culture (15.8 per cent), convenience (14.3 per cent) and the amenities/being close to everything (13.1 per cent).

Other responses include easy access to public transportation (9.3 per cent), the proximity to where they live (8.3 per cent) and the people (7.9 per cent).

More than one in five (23.2 per cent) say they have no concerns about working downtown, but 13.1 per cent cite traffic, while 11.8 per cent cite COVID-19 and crowdedness as top concerns, along with commuting (10.9 per cent).

More than half (57 per cent) say they take public transit to reach downtown Toronto, followed by walking (18 per cent), car (17 per cent) and biking (six per cent).

Wearable technology can be a big help in the fight against COVID-19 at the workplace, says one company.