New Study Reveals The Reasons That Canadians Don't Want To Go Back To Working In-Person

On Monday, May 31, a new study by Leger360 revealed how Canadians are feeling about going back to work and the reasoning behind so many people saying they're not so keen on the idea.

According to the data, only 20% of Canadians say they want to return to their pre-pandemic schedules and work back in the office or workplace as they did before. Meanwhile, the largest group of respondents, 40%, want to work a mix of days from home and in-person. Another 19% said they only want to go to the office when needed and 19% said they want to work entirely from home.

Only 20% of Canadians are keen to head back to working in-person full time, and you may be wondering why that is. As it turns out the biggest reason for wanting to continue working from home is simply convenience and enjoying the ability to work from home. Sixty-seven percent of respondents listed this as a reason.

Meanwhile, 64% said they want to save money on gas or transportation, 39% said they were more productive at home and another 35% said that they had a long commute and their lives are more productive without going into work.

Only 24% said that they were concerned about COVID-19, 18% said that they can be better parents from home and 9% said that they simply don't like their work environment.

The Work From Home Experience

The study also asked Canadians about their experience of working from home throughout the pandemic. Of the respondents, 82% said they had a positive experience and 17% said that working from home was negative. Within those categories, 37% answered that their time spent working remotely was "very positive," whereas only 4% found it "very negative."

Quebec respondents recorded having the most positive experience, with 45% of Quebecers saying working from home was "very positive."

On the other end of the spectrum, those in Manitoba or Saskatchewan were most likely to have a not-so-great experience, with 14% of respondents dwelling in those prairie provinces saying WFH was "very negative."

In comparison to the U.S., more Americans enjoyed the remote working experience than Canadians, with 46% of Americans calling it a very positive experience and only 37% of Canadians saying the same.