Forrester predicts 70% of US and EU companies planning full shift to hybrid work
On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that 25 states and Washington, DC, have given both COVID-19 vaccine shots to at least half of their adult residents. Yet a new study from Forrester predicts that companies in the US and Europe will stick with some form of hybrid work model even with vaccination numbers rising globally.
The study predicts that 70% of companies in the US and EU will allow some employees to work at least two days a week in a remote setting, adding that the long-term benefits of the practice would lead to higher retention rates and business benefits.
More than half of respondents to an accompanying survey in the US said they wanted to work from home permanently in some capacity once the pandemic has ended.
The survey also asked people about their thoughts on the COVID-19 vaccine, finding that 47% of US workers and 54% of employees in Europe did not think the vaccine would fully end the pandemic or stop the virus from spreading.
Less than 40% of workers in both regions agreed with the idea that their employers had any clear plan for vaccinating the workforce. More than 60% expressed discomfort with the idea that their employers would need to have access to "personal data specific to the pandemic."
Keith Johnston, vice president and group research director at Forrester, said it was important for companies to rethink "the working environments that best suit employees' needs moving forward." Johnston added that changes "can ensure that their employees feel they are being heard and that they have the autonomy and tools to do their jobs effectively."