Back To The Office Anxieties

Back To The Office Anxieties

Anxiety over returning to the office is very real. Blind, an anonymous community of verified professionals with 4 million+ users, began running a survey gauging if professionals were anxious about returning to the office and why65% of professionals on Blind are anxious about the office reopening, according to results.

4,200 users across different industries share their cause of concerns as offices announce reopening dates. Of those experiencing anxiety, 47% are “very concerned” about the health risks associated with returning to the office. 15% anticipate never returning to the office.

An Amazon professional shared a question in many people’s minds, “Should I buy a car? I used to take public transportation to work. Would you advise on buying a car for commuting once offices reopen? Even if I get vaccinated, I’m still worried about commuting with 1000s of other people.”

While the morning commute is causing anxiety, the leading cause of concern for anxious professionals is managing home care logistics (childcare, pet care, extended family care, etc.). 51% of professionals are “very concerned,” and 27% are “moderately concerned” with managing home care logistics.

43% of anxious professionals are “very concerned” about interacting with their coworkers in the office both socially and professionally. 

A Facebook professional asked the Blind platform, “Can they FORCE me to go into the office? I’m currently working remotely, but in my offer letter it states that the company will re evaluate my location when offices reopen. As of right now, my location in the system is ‘Remote – US’. My team is in CA and I’m worried they’ll revoke my remote status when things open up because it states that in my offer….Do you think my manager will actually force me to relocate?”

Access the raw Data: here. 

While planning to keep employees physically safe, employers must not forget the impact of Covid-19 on individuals’ emotional and psychological health. With 65% of employees feeling anxious about the office reopening, employers need to remember that these have the potential to impact work performance negatively. Employers should continue to lead with empathy and make employee well-being their top priority. Employers should share accurate, timely, and transparent information to give their employees enough time to properly sort their at-home logistics, which appears to be the most significant cause of concern.