Only 20% of workers want to return to the office full-time post-COVID: Survey

Canadians are in no rush to head back to the office even as COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to decline across the country, a new survey suggests.

A recent poll by Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies has found 82% of Canadian respondents who have worked from home during the pandemic have found the experience to be very or somewhat positive, while just 20% want to return to the office every day.

Only 17% described working from home as somewhat or very negative.

Almost 60% of those surveyed said they would prefer to return to the office part-time or occasionally, while 19% said they never want to go back.

The top three reasons for preferring to continue to work from home were convenience, saving money and increased productivity.

Some 35% of those surveyed in Canada agreed with the statement "If my superiors ordered me to go back to the office, I would start to look for another job where I can work from home."

The Leger survey queried 1,647 Canadians and 1,002 Americans between May 21 to 23, and cannot be assigned a margin of error because it was done online.

The data comes as several provinces have started easing pandemic restrictions as new cases and hospitalizations continue to come down from third-wave highs.

In a statement, Canada's chief public health officer said that easing restrictions needs to be done gradually, especially given the risk presented by more contagious variants.

"As restrictions start to be lifted based on conditions in your area, it is still important that everyone continue to follow local public health advice and keep up with individual protective practices like physical distancing and wearing a mask regardless of whether you have been vaccinated or not," Dr. Theresa Tam wrote.