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Working from home
declarations
HIGHLIGHTS Workplace Diversity p.14 l Harassment Risk p.17
THE P&C WORKPLACE The future of remote work
How P&C professionals feel about working from home, one year later
Working from home in Canada's P&C insurance industry is here to stay, even when the threat of the global pandemic recedes.
“The future of your daily work environment [post-COVID] will probably look more like a hybrid model between two and four days in the office each week,” Paul Martin predicted in his 2021 CEO Outlook piece for Canadian Underwriter. “Flexibility of the work environment will be one of the greatest selling points in attracting new talent to any organization.”
Martin’s view reflects the results of Canadian Underwriter’s recent online survey of more than 1,150 P&C industry professionals, who shared their feelings about working from home.
Eighty-one percent of survey respondents called for employers to offer more flex time to work from home after the pandemic is over.
Mar. 11, 2021, marked the one-year anniversary of when the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 to be a global pandemic. The survey shows 87% of Canada’s P&C industry is still working from home. The P&C industry is an essential service, meaning that offices are allowed to remain open, but most are working from home to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Seventy-two per cent of P&C professionals surveyed said they prefer to work from home.
“Better work-life balance,” one read-
BY DAVID GAMBRILL, Editor-in-Chief
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er explained in the survey, when asked to elaborate on their feelings. “Better mental health. Less distractions and more productive at work. No commute, back to home life faster and can get more done at home.”
Once we enter the post-pandemic era, expect a flexible work environment to prevail, as many industry leaders have stated in various interviews, webinars, and in communications with employees.
“I’m not really keen to go back to five days a week [in the office],” one reader wrote in the survey. “I want to go back one to two days a week, on an as-needed basis, with no pre-set schedule. I may want to continue working from home full-time so I can move outside the city.”
As far as productivity goes, top-tier Canadian P&C brokerages have reported individual sales records being broken during the pandemic. Video technology has proven to be an efficient way to meet with clients.
“Interestingly, in 2020, we had more people in our organization, believe it or not, pierce the $1-million mark of new revenue than in any other year of our corporate history,” Tina Osen, president of Hub International Canada, said during a Canadian Underwriter webinar panel discussion on the topic.
“Previously [before the pandemic], we had these subject matter experts flying around the country to appointments with clients and prospects. If you were lucky, they maybe got 5-6 meetings done in a week. In this [virtual] world now, they are doing 5-6 a day.”
But working virtually and in isolation is clearly taking its toll, causing some to long for in-person contact with work colleagues again. In March 2020, when most people started to work from home, P&C professionals generally expected to work from home for no longer than two to six months, as indicated in the survey. Now, the absence of social interac-
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Minority Report
The Insurance Institute of Canada published an industry demographics report in 2018 showing the state of diversity within the ranks of the industry, pre-COVID.
Percentage of visible minorities in the P&C industry by occupation and by managerial roles
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Visible Minority LGBT
Broker/Agent
Claims
Underwriting
Front Line Management
Middle Management
Senior Management
All Respondents
Person with a Disability Indigenous
Source: The Insurance Institute of Canada, Demographics of the P&C Insurance Industry in Canada 2017-2027, published in 2018
tion with colleagues is clearly starting to wear on people, even those who say they would prefer to work from home.
“At first, I loved it, and I still do really enjoy working from home,” one reader wrote. “It’s so easy — no commute, food and bathroom close by, and you don’t have to ‘get ready’ the same way. I get more time with my family and animals and I love that. However, as the months drag on, I also really miss my friends and colleagues, and I miss our daily routines. I’ve never felt so alone.”
That said, people in the survey recognized that interacting with colleagues can also result in distractions that lead to reduced productivity. For some readers, the decision to work from home or in the office is a real conundrum.
“When I am working from home, I think I would rather be at work,” one reader wrote. “When I occasionally go into the office, I realize the benefits of working from home.”
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EVENTS COVERAGE
Photos: ©iStock.com/baona
ON THE SCENE
VIDEO
Summary: The Insurance Institute of Canada held its Greater Toronto Area (GTA) Convocation virtually on Wednesday, February 17, 2021, celebrating the 1,421 graduates in all of its designation and certificate programs. “It’s not easy at the best of times to go back to school while maintaining a demanding job, being there for your family, and staying on top of all your other responsibilities,” Insurance Institute of Ontario President Joe Colby of Echelon Insurance said to the graduates in his opening address. “Then, suddenly, COVID-19 threw another big challenge into the mix. But you demonstrated resilience and you rose to the occasion. You should feel especially proud of your achievement given today’s realities.” The Insurance Institute offers the Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP) and the Fellow Chartered Insurance Professional (FCIP) designation programs. Certificate programs include the General Insurance Essentials (GIE); the Advanced CIP, Risk Management Certificate, and the Commercial Insurance Certificate.
A one-hour video tribute included congratulatory messages from Insurance Institute of Canada CEO Peter Hohman and Insurance Institute of Canada President Martin Thompson, who is also president and CEO of RSA Canada.
