More than two-thirds of employees plan to continue wearing face masks at work to limit the spread of Covid-19, despite mask-wearing no longer being a legal requirement in some settings.
Some 67% said they would choose to keep wearing face coverings in the workplace, the survey by software firm CIPHR found.
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The desire for mask wearing to continue extended to most indoor public settings too, particularly among those who have received both doses of a Covid-19 vaccination (49% compared with 39% of all workers).
More than three-quarters (77%) of people surveyed by CIPHR in July 2021 had received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccination and 53% were fully vaccinated. Ten per cent said they would not be getting a jab out of personal choice and 2% had a medical exemption.
A gradual return to workplaces is expected over the summer after months of pandemic-related restrictions and advice to work from home, but a fifth of those surveyed expressed some reservations. Sixteen per cent were anxious or concerned about returning to the office, while 4% said they were dreading it, the survey of 1,016 people found.
Employees who were happiest about returning to the workplace were more likely to work for employers that had implemented changes to help support physical and mental health, such as improved workplace ventilation (37%), training and development related to Covid-19 (30%), wellbeing support (27%), and requiring evidence of a negative Covid-19 test (24%).
The workers feeling anxiety or dread were were much less likely to work in an environment with improved ventilation (26%), where Covid-19-related training (26%) or wellbeing support (21%) was provided, or where they were being asked for evidence of a negative test (18%).
Claire Williams, director of people and services at CIPHR, said: “We urge all employers to consult their staff about changes you’re making that affect them. Keep checking in with them and ask them how they feel – particularly about the return to ‘normal working’.
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“Even if remote or hybrid working isn’t a practical option, employees’ loyalty can be easily lost by a failure to communicate, especially following a period where employers have had to call on a huge amount of goodwill from their workforce during incredibly challenging times. Above all, it’s important that people feel listened to, and that employers act on their feedback, wherever possible.
“Workers are understandably cautious about the risks to their health during a pandemic and there are many steps that employers can take to reassure their employees and safeguard their wellbeing. It’s vital for organisations to gain feedback from their employees about measures they would like to see implemented for their specific situation.”
