Suffolk Poll: Massachusetts Post-COVID Work Trends

It's been over six years since the COVID-19 pandemic whipped the Commonwealth into a frenzy, closing businesses and schools statewide, forcing folks to don masks and vax up, and driving the masses to work and learn remotely.

New Bedford's city parks were closed, the basketball hoops removed, and police tape blocked access to swing sets and slides. Funerals and wakes were canceled, visitors were banned from nursing homes and hospitals, and local churches were ordered shut.

What a grim time it was for people, many of whom couldn't wait to get back to normal living. Some, according to a new poll, aren't quite as ready as others to achieve complete normalcy.

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Massachusetts Poll Reveals Strong Pushback on Office Mandates

A Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll asked respondents, "Do you believe employers should require their workers to return to the office full-time five days a week – yes or no?"

The answer may or may not surprise you.

Almost 28 percent (27.8 percent) said yes, while 65.20 percent said no. Seven percent were undecided.

Post-COVID Massachusetts Residents Not Ready To Return To Work

The Value of In-Person Learning Post-Pandemic

The poll asked respondents, "Do you view in-person school attendance as less or more important than before the pandemic?"

A whopping 82 percent said "In-person more important," while 9.60 percent said, "In-person less important." Amazingly, 8.40 percent were undecided.

Why Remote and Hybrid Work Models Are Here to Stay

As for remote work, it seems it is here to stay. Forbes reported, "Remote-hybrid jobs have reshaped when and where the American workforce works."

"Studies show overall that the day-to-day workforce is simply happier with remote work because of more life to live outside of work," according to Forbes.

The Massachusetts Department of Human Resources said, "Offering flexible work options, such as working from home, staggered hours, help the Commonwealth attract and retain employees by accommodating a variety of lifestyles, living situations, and preferences."