Table 5.

Summary of interviews conducted during COVID-19 pandemic.

Interviewees and Industry Sectors	28 interviews with employees in health care, education, utilities, non-profits, government administration, tourism, biotech, public safety, human resources, social work, retail, supply chain management, advertising, information technology, and insurance
FWP implementation before and during COVID-19 outbreak	Most workplaces moved from little or no working-from-home to full-time, especially early in the lockdown. Some remained as full-time telework, while others combined with flexible scheduling to allow social distanced office use
Executive and manager support, productivity levels, and continuation of telework following pandemic	Most executives and managers supportive of telework. Most workplaces maintained productivity levels. Around half expected telework to continue following pandemic. However, a significant minority saw productivity levels decrease and one in four did not expect telework to continue.
Organizational changes due to COVID-19 lockdown	Around half of workplaces had at least considered lease renewals, created new internal telework policies, or modified insurance policies. Layoffs and furloughs had impacted work flow for some.
Innovative workplace practices	Broader implementation of telemedicine in healthcare and digitization of documentation. Customer and client service calls in other sectors moved online. Meditation and other wellness programs used to help manage employee stress and anxiety.
Challenges working from home	Most interviewees had experienced time management, work-life balance, and designated space challenges, either personally or among colleagues. Some experienced hardware, software, or connectivity challenges. Little or no training was provided to most.