Pandemic response, new challenges differ by company size

Overall, 67% of companies now have a plan in place to address infectious diseases, and another 18% are putting a plan in place now or are considering developing a plan. (Photo: Shutterstock)

The challenges of the ongoing COVID-19 era have resulted in significant workplace changes, a new report has found. The survey from Alera Group, a national insurance and financial services company, outlines how companies are responding to the ongoing challenges of a global pandemic that threatens to stretch into its third year.

The report confirms some of the findings of other analyses, such as an increase in flexibility with remote work and a new emphasis on employee mental health. But it also drills down into how companies of different sizes are responding to the pandemic in different ways. For example, 31% of small companies (fewer than 25 employees) said they will not develop a formal plan for responding to infectious disease, while only 2% of employers with 1,000 or more employees said they did not or will not have such a plan.