What Employees Want During These Uncertain Times

Aon Pulse Survey of the U.S. Workforce

What do employees want from their employers as the COVID-19 pandemic continues and the resulting fallout starts to become more real? To find out, we surveyed a representative sample of 2,004 U.S. workers, collected from March 27 through April 1, 2020. Here is a summary of what we learned about what has changed for employees, what’s concerning them, and what they want most from their employers.

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What’s Changed?

Biggest Changes

	Transition to working from home
	Travel restrictions
	Reduced pay/hours
	Hiring freezes
	Added benefits for COVID-19 related care or leave

Span of Impact

have already experienced some or significant impact to their job

Feeling the Greatest Impact

Hourly
Single status
<$50k household income
Age 20s
Smaller employers

What’s Concerning?

Top 5 Concerns

Having the money to get by (#1, #2, #4) and health fears (#3) are employees’ biggest worries right now.

	Paying for monthly expenses
	Job security
	Family member or self becoming ill with COVID-19
	Paying for daily expenses
	Retirement savings

Job Security

Among those who already have had some or significant impact to work status, hours, or pay

are concerned about job security.

And among those who have had no significant impact to work status, hours, and pay

are concerned about job security.

Uncertainty

Only 36% trust the U.S. economy will recover quickly

What Do Employees Want From Their Employers?

5 Most Sought After Support

	Continued pay/benefits
	Additional time off/paid sick leave
	Other financial assistance
	Paid family care leave
	More frequent communication and hearing more from senior leadership

Employees Trust Their Employers

At this time when it matters most, employees are generally trusting their employers.

Communication
and Trust Are
Linked

Employees who say they are getting the information they need from their employers feel more secure about their job and have more trust in their employers.

5 Most Asked for Communication Topics

	My job security
	Future of the company
	Leaves/paid time off policies
	Company financial health or performance
	Paying for health care expenses

Best Communication Channels
Right Now

Employees said the best ways for employers to share information with employees right now are:

Text messages

Conference calls

Communication
Gap

Say there’s too little communication from their employer

What Can Employers Do?

Focus on employees

Keep employees top of mind as you take action, listening to needs, concerns, and preferences

Build and retain trust

Clear, concise communication matters more than ever, and employees want to hear from their leaders and manager

Recognize unique needs

Find ways to support the unique needs of different groups (for example, younger or lower income employees)

Contact

Jane Kwon
Total Rewards Leader
[email protected]

Jim Hoff
Strategic Communication Leader
[email protected]

The information contained herein and the statements expressed are of a general nature and may not apply to particular factual or legal circumstances. Readers should not use this report as replacement for legal, tax, investment, accounting, or consulting advice that is specific to the facts and circumstances of their business. We encourage readers to consult with appropriate advisors before acting on any of the information contained in this report. This document has been provided as an informational resource for Aon clients and business partners. It is intended to provide general guidance on potential exposures, and is not intended to provide medical advice or address medical concerns or specific risk circumstances. Due to the dynamic nature of infectious diseases, Aon cannot be held liable for the guidance provided. We strongly encourage visitors to seek additional safety, medical and epidemiologic information from credible sources such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization. As regards insurance coverage questions, whether coverage applies or a policy will respond to any risk or circumstance is subject to the specific terms and conditions of the insurance policies and contracts at issue and underwriter determinations.