Data from the 2021 Greater Madison Telework Survey was published last week, and together with results from a similar June 2020 survey, the results indicate that telework on a part-time, weekly basis will likely remain a significant component of workplace structures into the future in Dane County.
The Greater Madison Telework Survey 2021 is the second regional survey conducted by the Greater Madison MPO (“MPO”) to assess telework trends and attitudes resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Conducted in partnership with Sustain Dane and the Dane County Office of Energy and Climate Change, it also serves to explore how individuals and employers in Dane County perceive and/or use telework as a way to reduce driving and support environmental sustainability.
The 2021 survey was conducted online from July 20–Aug. 16 to assess the telework experiences, attitudes, and plans of non-managers, managers and executives in the Madison region. It builds upon the results of the Madison Region Remote Work Survey conducted in June 2020.
With 61% of respondents working in government/civil services, the survey does not represent the actual distribution of employer types in Dane County. However, the only significant difference found between public and private sector responses was that 17% of private sector respondents anticipate teleworking five-plus days per week in the future, compared to 5% from the public sector.
These results provide useful insights for employers and policymakers making decisions about a future in which telework will be commonplace. These include decisions about workplace structures, commuter benefits, sustainability programs, infrastructure investments, and transportation and land use policies. They also offer a view of the evolving nature of workplaces and commutes in the Greater Madison region, and the potential for telework to contribute to transportation sustainability. For the full survey results, click here.
Respondent demographics
Conducted over a roughly one-month period this summer, the Greater Madison Telework Survey 2021 received 1,179 responses from non-managers (73%), managers (16%), and executives (11%) in the region. Organizations represented include both public and private employers ranging in size from fewer than 10 staff to over 10,000.
Pre-pandemic workplace zip codes reported by respondents were concentrated in and around downtown Madison, with by far the largest percentage (40%) reporting 53703 in downtown Madison. Conversely, home zip codes were dispersed throughout Dane County and beyond.
Perspectives from executives and managers
Prior to the pandemic, a common barrier to telework was the concern of many managers and executives about decreased productivity with a more dispersed workforce. Today, experiences during the pandemic have reduced those concerns and led many employers to plan for higher rates of both full- and part-time telework after the pandemic subsides.
Of the 27% of survey respondents identifying as executives (11%) and managers (16%), 67% work at organizations where over half of the employees worked from home regularly during the pandemic. Seventy-three percent expect that more employees will work from home on a weekly basis in the future, and 25% expect that more employees will work from home nearly full time. Of the responding executives and managers:
- 71% are taking steps to make teleworking easier;
- 71% have or will soon have a telework policy in place;
- 51% view telework as a sustainability strategy (e.g., to reduce drive-alone commutes, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, to reduce office energy use, etc.);
- 49% view telework as a business strategy (e.g., to improve competitiveness, recruit/retain talent, etc.); and
- 48% have a program that supports commute options such as bus, bike, carpool, vanpool, and walking.
The top benefits identified by executives and managers include:
- 76% — Improved employee morale and satisfaction;
- 54% — More staff access to/participation in virtual professional development opportunities;
- 49% — More productivity and/or improved workflows and efficiency; and
- 41% — More opportunities to hire diverse talent.
The top challenges identified by executives and managers include:
- 56% — Management challenges, including difficulty communicating, not knowing what staff are working on, and/or having to spend more time supervising staff; and
- 42% — Company culture and morale declining.
Despite identifying management challenges as a top concern, only 25% of responding executives and managers say that “problems completing work on time or quality of work declining,” is a challenge.
Similarly, while 42% of executives and managers express concern about declining company culture and morale, only 12% of all survey respondents (including executives, managers, and non-managers), report feeling lower morale.
Pre- and post-pandemic perspectives
When asked to compare their experience teleworking during the pandemic to their experience prior to the pandemic, the majority of respondents indicated feeling the same or better about a variety of work and life factors.
Compared to survey responses from June 2020, the percent of respondents indicating that their experience has been “better” or “somewhat better” when working from home during the pandemic, compared to their experience prior to the pandemic, increased for all of the factors below:
- 86% feel the same or greater satisfaction with their employer;
- 81% feel the same or greater overall life satisfaction;
- 83% feel the same or greater satisfaction with their own job performance;
- 74% feel the same or better about their ability to access necessary job resources;
- 87% feel the same or better about their ability to understand work expectations and job goals;
- 79% feel the same or better about their ability to communicate with their manager;
- 76% feel the same or better about their ability to collaborate with staff at other organizations; and
- 65% feel the same or better about their ability to collaborate with co-workers.
Preferences and expectations
Among all respondents, 64% expect to telework at least one day per week when business returns to “normal,” with 28% expecting to telework between one to two days and 27% expecting to telework between three to four days. Twelve percent expect to telework on a monthly basis.
Forty-six percent of respondents say that their employer has a telework policy in place, and 44% are able to participate in the decision about how often they telework. Twenty-nine percent say that their employer will require a minimum number of days in the office each week.
Respondents’ preferred strategies to make telework most effective into the future are:
- 57% — flexible start and end times to the day;
- 31% — designated “core” work hours, outside of which communications do not require an immediate response; and
- 31% — in-person social events with co-workers.
Of the respondents who will continue to be able to telework post-pandemic, the greatest barriers they anticipate include:
- 29% — Home workspace that is not the same quality as their employer’s office space;
- 28% — Lack of access to equipment like dual monitors, printers, keyboards, etc.; and
- 20% — Internet connectivity issues
Conclusion
These survey results and others included in the full report demonstrate that telework is likely to be a common part of workplace structures in the Madison region beyond the pandemic, primarily as a part-time option.
As seen when comparing survey results from 2020 and 2021, the challenges and benefits of telework are evolving as employees begin to telework at different rates and employers adjust to new demands. As communities continue to navigate the ever-changing circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare for the future, this survey highlights opportunities to harness long-term benefits at the individual, workplace, and regional levels.
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