Lives Over Leases survey reveals US office workers fear for their health and safety and want to make remote work permanent

Office building tenants and employees who work in offices are encouraged to join the #LivesOverLeases movement

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Nov 19, 2020, 08:30 ET

NEW YORK, Nov. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Lives Over Leases, a global movement to protect the health and safety of office building tenants and employees, has released new survey results showing US workers are fearful of returning to offices as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread.

The organization has launched an awareness campaign called #LivesOverLeases to call attention to the continued risks office workers face during the pandemic and to champion health and safety reforms and initiatives.

The Lives Over Leases survey of 1,000 full-time employees working in the United States, conducted by Upwave, reveals:

The vast majority of US full-time employees want to work from home or remotely until a proven vaccine is widely available.

63% of employees who have returned to working in offices say they weren't given a choice, as their company made doing so mandatory.

Of this group, 72% say they would prefer to work from home or remotely until a proven, widely available vaccine exists.

73% of employees who have not yet returned say they fear their office building will not provide a safe environment that protects against COVID-19 or future pandemics.

Of this group, 83% would prefer to work from home or remotely until a proven, widely available vaccine exists.

Over 30% of all full-time employees do not trust their building/landlord to abide by health and safety guidance provided or mandated by local or national government health organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or even the buildings/landlords themselves.

Americans also want employers to take specific, concrete actions in order to potentially re-open offices.

The majority of all full-time employees would like their employer to take the following actions to increase safety:

Regular and professional deep cleanings of office and building spaces: 66.3%
Mandatory masks for everyone in the office: 59.8%
Limits on the number of people in the office at one time: 58.4%
Temperature checks when people come to the office: 57%
Specialized air filters or ventilation systems: 56.1%

Americans clearly prefer having the option to work from home or remotely — permanently.

Of workers who have yet to return to offices, 49% say they'd prefer to work remotely all the time, and 33% say they'd like to spend two to three days a week in the office. Only 7.6% say they'd like to return to the office five days a week.
70% of all full-time employees say they are just as productive or more productive working from home or remotely. 68% say their teams are just as productive or more productive.

"Putting office tenants and workers back into unsafe offices is wrong. Landlords want our money but have done nothing to make offices safe," said Robert LoCascio, founder of Lives Over Leases and founder and CEO of LivePerson. "The old way of working does not have to determine our future, and American workers are clearly not interested in returning to the outdated system we've been told is our only option. It's time to take a stand."

Visit livesoverleases.com to join the #LivesOverLeases movement, share your stories about unsafe working conditions and your solutions and innovations for improving safety, and access resources to keep your employees, colleagues, and families safe.

For more information, click here to view an infographic about the Lives Over Leases survey, and follow Lives Over Leases on LinkedIn for updates.

CONTACT: Mike Tague, [email protected]

SOURCE Lives Over Leases