REPORT
    Snap Poll on Return to Office
    Available Only for Members of the NA Celent Insurance Executive Research Panel
    28th June 2021

    Snap polls reflect questions posed by members of the Celent Executive Research Panel, a group of C level executives in the insurance industry. This question came about from a member who wanted insights around how other members have designed their return to office strategy. Thirty-three insurers responded to this survey over the course of four days, June 22– June 25, 2021.

    The insurer is looking for information about how other insurers have designed their return to office strategy. They see three options - 1) All back; 2) Stay completely virtual; or 3) Deploy a hybrid model.

    This insurer is looking at these options for returning employees to the office and wondering how others are thinking about the different models and would like to understand how others think about the realized or anticipated challenges encountered when making the strategy shift.

    The question that was posed was:

    Background:

    The insurer is looking for information about how other insurers have designed their return to office strategy. They see three options - 1) All back; 2) Stay completely virtual; or 3) Deploy a hybrid model.

    This insurer is looking at these options for returning employees to the office and wondering how others are thinking about the different models and would like to understand how others think about the realized or anticipated challenges encountered when making the strategy shift.

    Questions:

    What percentage of your company’s workforce will be reporting into the office by year end 2021?

    What will your company’s long-term working model look like in 2022?

    We will have a hybrid model

    We are planning to stay completely virtual

    We are planning to be completely back to the office

    We are selecting completely virtual or hybrid for certain employees by role/function but not for others

    If your company is going to be maintaining a hybrid model what are the conditions?

    A minimum number of days in the office - how many?

    Employee choice

    Employees come in when the company asks for a meeting/social event only

    If you are planning to stay hybrid beyond 2021, what percentage of employees do you expect to be working from the office on any given day?

    If your company is looking to do the hybrid model and plan to pick set days for everyone to work in the office, which day(s) of the week will employees work from the office?

    How will you determine the back to the office work schedule?

    Based on role in company

    Based on seniority

    Based on last name

    Based on employee preference

    What challenges are you currently realizing or anticipate dealing with as you continue to open your work from the office plans? (check all that apply)

    We don’t anticipate any issues

    We anticipate employees will want to choose where they work from

    We anticipate some employees may choose to quit or retire rather than come back to the office.

    We anticipate technology resources may have more work from home options than their business counterparts.

    Will employees be allowed to continue to work from home if it’s their preference?

    Yes

    No

    In special circumstances

    Regarding employee reimbursement for things like internet, utilities, equipment etc.

    Are you currently providing any kind of employee reimbursement for those things?

    What are you specifically reimbursing for?

    Do you expect that to change when employees return to the office or become hybrid?

    Will the reimbursement amount be different for hybrid workers v. 100% work from home workers?

    When do you anticipate attending industry conferences in person again?

    We have already started attending conferences

    We plan to start in the second half of this year

    Not this year, but we plan to start in 2022

    We do not foresee attending conferences this year or in 2022

    Have you budgeted for conferences in 2021?

    About Celent’s Research Panel

    The Celent Executive Research Panel is a free knowledge sharing resource for senior technology and operations executives at insurers in North America. It provides an easy way for executives to share information, obtain quantitative data, and learn from each other through regular ongoing surveys, snap polls, round tables, and webinars. If you are interested in joining the Celent research panel, you can reach out to Karlyn Carnahan kcarnahan@celent.com or Dan McCoach dmccoach@celent.com to see if you qualify for membership.

    Authors
    Karlyn Carnahan
    Karlyn Carnahan
    Head of Insurance, North America
    Keith Raymond
    Keith Raymond
    Principal Analyst