Thank you to all who participated in my June 20, 2020 Weekend Poll on what and how you’re doing career-wise as we continue to make our way through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Only 9% have remained in office environments throughout the pandemic
Nine percent of all respondents have carried on working in their traditional office environments throughout the pandemic to date. As you’ll see in the comments in the article containing this poll, at least one of those respondents was provided a laptop in the early stage of the pandemic in case the need to work from home did arise.
On the other hand, 65% of respondents were working from home as of late June 2020. Another 22% were, at this same point in time, engaged in hybrid work arrangements – working both at home and at the office. Four percent of respondents reported being engaged in job searches; they’re out of work as a result of the pandemic.
How do assistants feel about the current situation?
One in three respondents say you appreciate the flexibility the current situation affords. Another 15% say it’s great, and a full 28% say it’s good, although there are either challenges (10%) or distractions (8%).
On the other hand, 16% feel out of the loop and another 7% report feeling lonely – and 11% of respondents say your workload has increased. These percentages don’t surprise me, as they validate what I’ve seen and heard either directly or through social media groups.
If you’re among those who find yourself lonely during this time, you may find joining or renewing your involvement in a professional association or network can make a positive impact. When I asked readers how important these bodies have been to assistants as you adapt and cope with the challenges associated with this pandemic, 49% of respondents said your networks and professional associations have been highly beneficial. Eighteen percent said these bodies have had little or no impact. If that’s the case for you, you may want to consider whether stepping up and helping your network or professional association to actively support and impact people.
How do you feel about going back to an office environment?
Equal percentages (11%) of respondents are either eager or cautiously looking forward to returning to an office environment. Another 20% are either nervous or anxious about the same scenario.
Fifty-eight percent of respondents are comfortable with the notion, with some qualifiers – as long as the timing is right and precautionary guidelines are communicated and respected.
Hybrid, please: I asked how you’d like to work in the future, if you could choose. Almost six of every 10 respondents – 58% – would like to sort out a hybrid arrangement for the future, working from both the office and from home. Another 24% love working this way and would like to make the practice permanent. While 3% dislike their current situation and can’t wait to be back in an office environment.
What are you most looking forward to about returning to the office?
To paraphrase Aristotle, assistants are by nature social animals. It’s little surprise, then, that 43% of respondents are most looking forward to people/socialising. Twenty-two percent are most looking forward to a sense of normalcy. Twelve percent are most looking forward to a change of scenery, and another 11% are most looking forward to routine. You’ll find all the results in the data, below.
Webinars: professional development and a sense of community
That’s what I’ve found in the webinars I’ve attended, and in those I deliver. I asked how many webinars readers have attended since March 15th, and your answers are interesting. Two percent of respondents haven’t attended a single webinar, while a third of you have attended anywhere from one to six. Another 27% have attended between seven and 12 webinars, and 24% have attended 21 or more. You’ll find the full breakdown in the data.
Remember, this represents webinar attendance in roughly one quarter of a year. While these rates are doubtless higher than in any quarter of the previous year, I wish I’d thought to seek a comparison!
Have you been given indications of return dates?
I asked readers if you’ve been given indications as to when or whether you’ll be returning to an office environment. Ten percent are already back, 37% have been given indications, and another 12% haven’t. You’ll find the full breakdown in the data, and it’s worth noting that 37% of respondents are in limbo – these assistants’ employers have advised that it’s premature to identify a return date.
So, when are people returning to offices?
Almost a third of respondents said your employers have given a window of time for return to office environments. Nineteen percent are currently expecting to return to the office some time in the next three to six months, while another 16% have been advised this will be anywhere from six months to a year.
Almost one in five respondents are anticipating returning to office environments in July 2020, and you’ll find month-by-month stats through to January 2021 (when 7% of respondents have been advised they’ll be back in the office) in the data, below.
The data
1. Which of the following best describes your current employment situation?
- Working from home: 65% of respondents
- Hybrid – working both at home and the office: 22% of respondents
- Working at the office; never left: 9% of respondents
- Searching; out of work as a result of the pandemic: 4% of respondents
- Furloughed/temporarily laid off and hope to return: 0% of respondents
- Searching – out of work pre-pandemic: 0% of respondents
2. If you’ve been working remotely/at home as a result of the pandemic, which of the following best describes your experience?
- I’d like to sort out a hybrid arrangement: 58% of respondents
- I love it and would like to work this way permanently: 24% of respondents
- I like it, but look forward to being back in the office: 15% of respondents
- I dislike it and can’t wait to be back in an office environment: 3% of respondents
3. Which of the following best describes how you feel most days about working remotely?
- I appreciate the flexibility: 33% of respondents
- I feel out of the loop: 16% of respondents
- It’s great: 15% of respondents
- My workload has increased: 11% of respondents
- It’s good, though there are challenges: 10% of respondents
- It’s good, though there are distractions: 8% of respondents
- I feel lonely: 7% of respondents
4. On a scale of 1 (poor) to 3 (impressive), how would you rate the effectivness of your principal’s (boss’) communications to you during the COVID-19 pandemic?
- 1 (poor): 16% of respondents
- 2: 47% of respondents
- 3 (impressive): 37% of respondents
5. On a scale of 1 (poor) to 3 (impressive), how do you think your principal (boss) would rate the effectivness of YOUR communications during the COVID-19 pandemic?
- 1 (poor): 5% of respondents
- response: 44% of respondents
- 3 (impressive): 51% of respondents
6. On a scale from 1 (low) to 3 (high), how would you rate your productivity during the firts month of working from home?
- 1 (low): 14% of respondents
- 2: 29% of respondents
- 3 (high): 58% of respondents
7. On a scale from 1 (low) to 3 (high), how would you rate your productivity once you settled into new norms?
- 1 (low): 5% of respondents
- 2: 39% of respondents
- 3 (high): 56% of respondents
8.
- Yes: 54% of respondents
- No: 46% of respondents
9. Have you intentionally focused on your communication skills while working remotely during the pandemic?
- Yes: 71% of respondents
- No: 29% of respondents
10. How many webinars do you estimate you’ve attended since March 15, 2020?
- None: 2% of respondents
- 1-6 webinars: 33% of respondents
- 7-12 webinars: 27% of respondents
- 13-20 webinars: 14% of respondents
- 21-30 webinars: 15% of respondents
- more than 30 webinars: 9% of respondents
11. Have you been given an indication as to when/whether you’ll be returning to an office environment?
- Yes: 37% of respondents
- No: 12% of respondents
- My employer has advised that it’s premature to ID a return date: 37% of respondents
- I’m already back: 10% of respondents
- I’ve worked from the office throughout this time: 4% of respondents
12. If you have been advised of a projected date for returning to the office, which of the following best describes that timeline?
- 3-6 months: 19% of respondents
- 6 months to a year: 16% of respondents
- July 2020: 18% of respondents
- Aug 2020: 9% of respondents
- Sep 2020: 17% of respondents
- Oct 2020: 9% of respondents
- Nov 2020: 0% of respondents
- Dec 2020: 5% of respondents
- Jan 2021: 7% of respondents
13. Which of the following best describes how you feel about your pandemic work wardrobe?
- I’ve enjoyed dressing casually: 72% of respondents
- I miss dressing up for work: 16% of respondents
- I haven’t changed the way I dress: 12% of respondents
14. On a scale of 1 (little or no impact) to 3 (highly beneficial), how important have your professional associations/networks been to you as you adapt and cope with the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has presented?
- 1 (little or no impact): 18% of respondents
- 2: 34% of respondents
- 3 (highly beneficial): 49% of respondents
15. Which of the following best describes how you feel about returning to an office environment?
- Comfortable, as long as the timing is right and precautionary guidelines are communicated and respected: 58% of respondents
- Nervous or anxious: 20% of respondents
- Cautiously looking forward to it: 11% of respondents
- Eager: 11% of respondents
16. If you’ve been working remotely/from home, which of the following do you most look forward to once/if you return to an office environment?
- People/socialising: 43% of respondents
- A sense of normalcy: 22% of respondents
- Change of scenery: 12% of respondents
- Routine: 11% of respondents
- My hardware and office supplies: 8% of respondents
- Fewer meetings by screen/webconference: 3% of respondents
- Going out for lunch: 1% of respondents
