Remote Operations Broaden Appeal as Enduring Workplace Option, AICPA Survey Finds

Eighty-two percent of business executives say their companies will not be reducing office space in the coming year
Some 22 percent of firms say they plan primarily remote operations over next 12 months
Safety of customers and employees remains greatest pandemic-related business concern

NEW YORK, NY (Sept. 24, 2020) ─ Companies are planning on retaining remote work options to a greater degree than they did pre-pandemic once workplace restrictions ease, the third-quarter AICPA Economic Outlook Survey found. The survey polls chief executive officers, chief financial officers, controllers and other certified public accountants in U.S. companies who hold executive and senior management accounting roles.

Topline results of the survey were released Sept. 3 but business executives were also asked supplemental questions about their workplace plans for the next 12 months. Half said they plan to return principally or entirely to traditional onsite operations, provided restrictions are eased or not in place. (Another 15 percent said remote work was never an option for them). Some 22 percent, however, said their company’s operations would be primarily remote, with an additional nine percent saying they planned to be completely virtual. In comparison, only four percent of companies said they operated as all-virtual concerns before the pandemic.

So far, the shift to remote work hasn’t led to widespread plans for a reduction in office space, confirming that – while businesses will leverage the flexibility that remote working enables – physical office and collaboration workspace remains an essential part of the future-of-work landscape. More than three-quarters of business executives (77 percent) said they expected no change to their brick-and-mortar office footprint over the next 12 months. Some 18 percent said they expected some consolidation, with five percent saying they planned to give up 50 percent or more of their space. Five percent said their companies plan to increase space.

“Many companies were forced abruptly into remote work situations by the pandemic and performed surprisingly well,” said Ash Noah, CPA, CGMA, managing director of CGMA learning, education and development for the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. “The crisis accelerated the virtual teams and remote trends already underway. We will see businesses being more flexible in their approach and adopting a hybrid operating model that will become more commonplace over the next few years.”

The greatest pandemic-related concerns that business executives cited for the next 12 months are safety of employees and customers (33 percent), uncertainty over stay-at-home restrictions (29 percent) and customer demand/ability to pay (22 percent), the survey found. Only two percent listed liability concerns as their greatest worry.

To address safety, most companies plan to mandate masks in the workplace (74 percent), provide socially distanced workspaces (71 percent), provide personal protection equipment (64 percent) and screen workers (52 percent).

Planned Safety Measures

Safety Measure	Percentage
Mandating masks in workplace	74%
Providing socially distanced interior workspaces or areas for customer interaction	71%
Providing PPE (personal protection equipment)	64%
Screening workers daily (i.e., temperature checks)	52%
Staggering worker shifts to minimize contact	37%
Screening customers	24%
Upgrading filters and making other improvements to HVAC systems	21%
Automating point-of-sale and other flash points for customer interaction	10%
Providing covered outdoor areas for employees and/or customers	8%
Other (please specify)	5%
Does not apply because we are operating entirely virtually	4%
None of these	3%

“Other” responses in the above included:

Split our employees into pods that do not physically interact
Significant signage to promote safety and distancing
Restricting access to outside vendors/customers to essential interactions
Discontinued vending services/coffee and water fountains
Implement paperless transactions
More virtual sales tools
Additional cleaning and sanitation

Methodology

The third-quarter AICPA Business and Industry Economic Outlook Survey was conducted from July 18 to August 28 and included 1,067 qualified responses from CPAs who hold leadership positions, such as chief financial officer or controller, in their companies. The overall margin of error is less than 3 percentage points. A copy of the report can be found on aicpa.org.

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Remote Operations Broaden Appeal as Enduring Workplace Option, AICPA Survey Finds

Planned Safety Measures

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