TAMPA, Fla. — Many Tampa Bay area employers plan to allow at least some work-from-home opportunities post-pandemic, a new regional survey from the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority found.
The Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority (TBARTA) works to advance regional transportation needs in Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco and Pinellas counties. The organization’s purpose is to plan, develop, fund, implement, and operate a regional transit system in this area.
The Envision 2030 Transit & Telework Survey, created and administered by TBARTA, was open from January 11, 2021, through March 31, 2021. It received 549 responses with sampling across five counties. A mixture of managers, business owners, and employees around Tampa Bay answered questions about their teleworking experience, transit experience during the pandemic, and TBARTA’s role in future regional transit.
TBARTA asked businesses how many employees teleworked at least once a week prior to the pandemic. Nearly 60% of those businesses responded that none of their employees were working from home.
In a follow-up question, TBARTA asked how many employees were teleworking at least once a week during the pandemic. Nearly 65% of businesses responded that at least half of their employees were working from home.
The experience of teleworking appears to have gone overwhelmingly well for both Tampa Bay area businesses and employees, according to the survey.
More than 50% of businesses said employees working remotely was positive. Of the employees that TBARTA surveyed, 58% said the experience was positive.
Looking to the future, it appears Tampa Bay area businesses are working to provide more work-from-home opportunities. About 60% of businesses who responded to the survey said they will be creating more remote work possibilities in the months and years to come.