More than two-thirds (70 per cent) of Canadian employees have enjoyed working from home more than they expected, according to a new survey by VMware Inc.
The survey, which polled 1,500 employees, found only 40 per cent feel their employer has clearly explained expectations around a return to the office. More than half (52 per cent) said their employer has communicated the workplace will be more flexible and 37 per cent believe their employer will require them to come back to the office three or more days per week.
Read: Salary increases, cost savings among top benefits of remote work: survey
More than a third (35 per cent) of Canadian employees currently work from home and among those workers, 68 per cent said they have the technology they need, 66 per cent want to work from home exclusively/more frequently than before the coronavirus pandemic and 38 per cent want to exclusively work remotely.
Three-quarters (75 per cent) of employees felt they have more time and energy for work because they don’t have to commute and 63 per cent felt they’re more productive working from home.
More than three-quarters (79 per cent) said they feel the role of the office has changed and 74 per cent believe employees shouldn’t be expected to work full time from an office since remote-working technology has proven effective, representing an increase of 15 per cent over the last two years.
Read: 90% of Canadian remote workers say working from home hasn’t hurt productivity: survey
“The popularity of remote work provides a real opportunity for hiring managers to expand their talent search,” said Josh Olson, global head of experience solutions software sales at VMware, in a press release. “As some employees head back to the office, it is important for Canadian organizations to articulate their workforce strategy and be transparent with employees about what the expectations will be.”