In the immediate wake of the COVID-19 outbreak in early 2020, traditional norms surrounding the way people work and the expectations they have for the future have been upended. Uncertainty abounds and there are many challenges to face, as well as opportunities to be explored.  At the same time, employers and workers are also finding solutions. Remote working has come to the fore, innovation is ramping up as businesses quickly pivot their operations and new support networks are emerging as people find novel ways to interact with each other.

In January 2020, a global survey was completed of employees’ attitudes towards the world of work and what they expect and hope for from the workplace of the future. They examined the workforce view across a range of prominent issues at that time: optimism levels, discrimination, flexible working arrangements, pay, and the gig economy.  These themes took on new relevance as the pandemic hit, triggering major changes to the world of work and altering the outlook for employees and employers alike.  It was therefore important to revisit the research to gauge how attitudes changed.  In May 2020, they completed a second round of the survey to understand views in a post-COVID world.