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Ready They’re Not: New Citrix Survey Finds Employees Reluctant to Return to Office

As the US economy prepares to re-open, businesses are readying plans to return employees to the office. But as the results of a new survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Citrix Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CTXS) reveal, a majority of office workers currently working from home due to the coronavirus are reluctant to do so. Despite the relaxing of shelter-in-place orders and increase in safety measures, 64 percent of 2,000 US workers polled say they would not feel comfortable returning to the office for one month or more.

“As companies prepare to restart their operations in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, it is important that they understand the concerns and expectations employees have for returning to the office,” says Donna Kimmel, Chief People Officer, Citrix. “The vast majority of workers remain anxious and want to be sure that they are not putting themselves or their families at risk and employers must factor this into their plans.”

The Rush Isn’t On

Asked when they would be comfortable working in an office environment again, 64 percent of employees who responded to the OnePoll survey said in 30 days or more:

  • One month (22 percent)
  • Two months (19 percent)
  • Three months (14 percent)
  • Four months (5 percent)
  • Five months (2 percent)
  • More than five months (2 percent)

Safety First

When probed on what they would like their employers to require as part of reopening facilities, respondents indicated:

  • Face masks worn by all employees (46 percent)
  • Disposable gloves worn by all employees (43 percent)
  • Hand sanitizer readily available throughout office space (42 percent)
  • Health checks every two weeks with specific testing for coronavirus (41 percent)
  • Face visors/face shields worn by all employees (40 percent)
  • App installed on work-issued mobile devices to track employee movements and allow contact tracing (35 percent)
  • Self-temperature checks performed by employees and a dedicated app to submit and validate data before allowing office entry (35 percent)
  • Regular and clearly documented deep cleaning procedures (32 percent)
  • Floor markings to enforce appropriate social distancing (32 percent)
  • Thermal cameras to check temperatures before entering office space (31 percent)
  • Staggered work shifts to prevent full offices (28 percent)
  • Removal of hot desking - allocated, spaced seating only (24 percent)
  • No face-to-face meetings (23 percent)
  • Onsite cafeterias closed (18 percent)

Non-Starters

If none of these measures are implemented, 77 percent of employees surveyed said they will either:

  • Continue to work from home permanently until the situation changed (45 percent), or
  • Go to the office only for specific purposes (32 percent)

And five percent said they will find a job that allows them to work remotely all of the time.

Do as I ask, not as I Do

Ironically, a majority of the same respondents indicated that even if such measures are put in place, they will continue to work remote or go to the office only as required until they are eased. If asked to:

  • Wear a mask and gloves all the time

- 37 percent would continue to work remote

- 37 percent would go to the office only as required

  • Install and use an app on corporate mobile devices to track movements while on corporate premises and allow contact tracing

- 40 percent would continue to work remote

- 39 percent would go to the office only as required

  • Submit to health tests for coronavirus every two weeks

- 36 percent would continue to work remote

- 38 percent would go to the office only as required

Creating a Comfort Zone

What will it take for employees to feel comfortable returning to the office full time? According to the OnePoll survey:

  • Regular testing and health screenings for all employees (51 percent)
  • An effective vaccine (46 percent)
  • Contact tracing/movement apps deployed by employer (44 percent)
  • Contact tracing/movement apps deployed by government (38 percent)
  • Flexible sick leave policy (28 percent)

Still, three percent said the COVID-19 pandemic has changed their approach to work and that they don’t ever want to return to an office full time.

“When COVID-19 began its rapid spread and remote work became a mandate, many companies viewed it as a short-term situation,” Kimmel said. “But as this research makes clear, flexible models that accommodate both the home and traditional workforce need to be a permanent part of long-term plans if businesses hope to move forward.”

Citrix provides a complete range of digital workspace solutions to enable remote work and drive business continuity, even in the most challenging times. Click here to learn more about these solutions and how your organization can use them to enable seamless workforce productivity, giving employees the flexibility to work from anywhere in a safe manner, all while keeping your apps and information secure.

Methodology

Citrix commissioned OnePoll to conduct an online survey of 2,000 office workers in the United States who are currently working from home due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The research was completed between May 2 and May 12, 2020.

About Citrix

Citrix (NASDAQ:CTXS) is powering a better way to work with unified workspace, networking, and analytics solutions that help organizations unlock innovation, engage customers, and boost productivity, without sacrificing security. With Citrix, users get a seamless work experience and IT has a unified platform to secure, manage, and monitor diverse technologies in complex cloud environments. Citrix solutions are in use by more than 400,000 organizations including 98 percent of the Fortune 500.

For Citrix Investors:

This release contains forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The forward-looking statements in this release do not constitute guarantees of future performance. Those statements involve a number of factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, including risks associated with the impact of the global economy and uncertainty in the IT spending environment, revenue growth and recognition of revenue, products and services, their development and distribution, product demand and pipeline, economic and competitive factors, the Company's key strategic relationships, acquisition and related integration risks as well as other risks detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Citrix assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information contained in this press release or with respect to the announcements described herein. The development, release and timing of any features or functionality described for our products remains at our sole discretion and is subject to change without notice or consultation. The information provided is for informational purposes only and is not a commitment, promise or legal obligation to deliver any material, code or functionality and should not be relied upon in making purchasing decisions or incorporated into any contract.

© 2020 Citrix Systems, Inc. Citrix, the Citrix logo, and other marks appearing herein are the property of Citrix Systems, Inc. and may be registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

Contacts:

Karen Master
Citrix
+1 216-396-4683
Karen.master@citrix.com

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