So long, office space? Two-thirds of Canadians who work from home expect it to continue after pandemic

The COVID-19 outbreak has changed a lot of things about life in Canada. One of the more enduring legacies of the crisis may be how it changes the way we work. Across the country, offices have been shuttered in favour of spare rooms, kitchens, and sofas. Now, the latest study from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute reveals only one-third of Canadians working remotely expect to resume working from the office as consistently as they did pre-pandemic. Among those working from home, (just under one-third of Canada’s adult population) only 36 per cent say they will likely go back to their place of work when COVID-19 concerns subside. Most who work remotely anticipate splitting time between their workplace and home, while one-in-five (20%) say they will remain primarily at home.

For others, however, such speculation is something of a luxury. The Angus Reid Institute asked workers who have lost hours or been laid off (28% of Canadian adults who had been working when the pandemic was declared) if they anticipate returning to that same job with the same number of hours in the future. Among this group, two-in-five say it’s either a doubtful prospect (29%) or that the job is gone forever (9%). This represents a two-fold increase since the end of March.

More Key Findings:

• Half (49%) say that the worst of the job losses and economic strife brought on by COVID-19 is yet to come, while the same number say they feel the worst has passed
• Seven-in-ten of those who have lost work have applied for aid funding from their province or the federal government. The vast majority of this group (79%) either say this assistance has been “vital” or has helped them out “a lot”
• One-in-three 18- to 34-year old’s and two-in-five 35- to 54-year old’s have been working from home over the last few months. Those working from home are divided about the impact it has had on their mental health, with about equal numbers saying it’s been terrible (15%) or great (16%). Most say it has been “okay” (68%).

Link to the poll Download .PDF with detailed tables, graphs and methodology. Media Contacts: Shachi Kurl, Executive Director: shachi.kurl@angusreid.org @shachikurl Dave Korzinski, Research Director: dave.korzinski@angusreid.org @davekorzinski

Angus Reid Institute——Bio and Archives

The Angus Reid Institute is a national, not-for-profit, non-partisan public opinion research foundation established to enhance and encourage better understanding of issues and trends affecting economic, social, governance, philanthropy, public administration, domestic and foreign policy in Canada and its world.