Workers weigh in: How did manufacturing employers handle the pandemic?

A Leger survey has been conducted for Argyle. According to the Argyle Public Relationships Index, 77 per cent of Canadians and 83 per cent of Americans agree that “my employer has managed the COVID-19 crisis well,” compared with 19 per cent and one per cent who disagree.

Key data points:

• Manufacturing is one of the leading sectors. 95 per cent of workers in Canada’s information and communications technology sector give their employers the strongest vote of confidence, followed by manufacturing (89 per cent), finance and insurance (83 per cent), retail, wholesale and real estate (81 per cent), and professional services (78 per cent). Health care and social assistance both mirrored the national average (77 per cent).
• Lagging sectors. The lowest scores came from workers in construction (64 per cent), accommodation and food services (67 per cent), and transportation and warehousing (69 per cent).
• Employer/employee relationships approve across the board. Since the last survey in March 2020, Canadians give similar or slightly higher marks to their employers from overall satisfaction to trust. 
• Americans have stronger relationships with their employers. American workers give their employers higher marks than Canadians on every single metric.

“The weakest finding for employers is also their greatest opportunity: engaging employees about the future — and giving them some visible influence on the decisions you make today,” said Daniel Tisch, CEO, Argyle. “While higher turnover is inevitable after such as stressful year, those who invest in these essential relationships will inevitably be better positioned for renewed growth.”