The Planner Careers

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THE PLANNER CAREERS SURVEY 2020

Lost earnings and longer hours, but technology saves the day: How Covid-19 has aff ected planning

By Simon Wicks

Almost a quarter of planners have lost earnings as a result of the Covid-19 crisis, with most losses concentrated in the private sector.

Th e Planner’s annual Careers Survey found that 23 per cent of planners had lost between 1 and 100 per cent of their earnings since the fi rst Covid-19 lockdown in March 2020, with most of these losing up to 20 per cent.

Close to half of respondents (45 per cent) said that heir jobs had changed as a result of Covid-19, and six in 10 said they had worked solely from home since the start of the pandemic. Forty-six per cent said that they now preferred this to working in an offi ce.

A similar number (43 per cent) reported that they were working longer hours since the fi rst lockdown last March, and four in 10 planners said that they had become more productive.

“It might take longer than when we were in the offi ce to get some information, and there are endless Teams meetings. But this year I have delivered at least as much if not more than ever,” said one public sector planner from the south-west of England with more than 20 years’ experience.

0% 76.99%

1-10% 7.11%

11-20% 7.11%

21-30% 2.51%

31-40% 1.26%

41-50% 1.26%

51-60% 0.84%

61-70% 0.42%

71-80% 0.42%

81-90% 0.42%

91-99% 0%

100% 1.67%

Slightly more than 250 RTPI members responded to the 2020/21 Planner Jobs Careers Survey in November, which focused on planners’ workplace experience of the Covid-19 crisis.

Fifty-eight per cent of respondents were from the public sector and 36 per cent from the private sector, the two largest groups. Fifty-eight per cent were women and 41 per cent men.

Th e picture they provided was of a profession that adapted quickly to changes forced by the pandemic, with a rapid transition to remote working and a swift embrace of digital technology. We also got a picture of public sector bodies being able to fl ex more than their private sector counterparts to accommodate planners whose regular work was disrupted or halted by the pandemic.

For example, 77 per cent of respondents overall did not experience a loss of income as a result of the pandemic. But fewer than 5 per cent of public sector planners reported a loss of income, compared with 50 per cent of private sector planners.

Th e bulk of these losses were 20 per cent or under, indicating that the furlough scheme was employed more widely in the private than the public sector. Of the nine redundancies reported by respondents, eight occurred in the private sector.

Public sector planners were more likely to have experienced a change in the nature of their job – 47 per cent compared with 41 per cent of private sector planners. Although the greater part of these changes appeared to be changes in process (virtual site visits and meetings), public sector planners reported more movement between roles.

“Secondments to Covid support, secondments from policy to DM, virtual alternatives to site visits” – public sector planner, North West.

“Working within the NHS my work in the beginning became focused on fi nding sites to extend capacity (such as the Nightingale hospitals) and test centres” – public sector planner, London

Th e survey results intimate that the public sector was better able to fl ex more to off er greater job and income security under pressure from the pandemic.

Around one in six respondents (16 per cent) reported a permanent change of job – either to a new position for the same employer or to an entirely new employer. For some this represented a promotion or a sideways move; for others an escape from an undesirable situation:

“I started a new role within the same organisation on the fi rst day of lockdown. Although I know all of the people I am working with, it has nonetheless been a challenge to make a positive impression when working away from the offi ce” – public sector planner, East Midlands

“I moved to a diff erent consultancy due to the way my employer behaved during the Covid crisis – their poor management of people and extremely high-pressured environment with no consideration for the employees’ health and wellbeing. Now I have left I am a lot happier” – private sector planner, South West

55% 45%

57%

I have worked solely from home since the fi rst lockdown was announced

29%

I have worked mainly from home since the fi rst lockdown was announced

6% 3% 5%

I have worked roughly half the time from home since the fi rst lockdown was announced I have worked mainly at my employer’s workplace since the fi rst lockdown was announced It has made no diff erence – I always work from home anyway

The most universal change to employment conditions provoked by Covid-19 was the shift from office to homeworking. Fifty-eight per cent of respondents told us they had worked solely from home since the first lockdown in March 2020; another 29 per cent had worked mainly from home.

When asked whether they preferred working from home, almost half (46 per cent) said they did, compared with just 30 per cent who said the opposite. Some 43 per cent said they would like to continue working from home all of the time (7 per cent) or as much as possible (36.5 per cent) once the crisis was over. A further 40 per cent said they would like to work from home occasionally.

Whatever their answer, almost all respondents who commented expressed a desire for a mixed regime in the future; some of the week working from home, some working from the office. They identified a number of reasons why each was, or was not, beneficial.

24%

30% 46%

Yes No No preference

“Offi ce working is needed for team meetings and managing performance. Problem solving is easier when staff are met in person. Approx 75 per cent can be done at home, 25 per cent needs offi ce working” – public sector planner, Wales

“It’s made me appreciate how much I both enjoy my colleagues’ company and how much I value being able to talk things through face to face” – public sector planner, Yorkshire

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Working from home has had an impact on working hours and productivity, too. When asked about each of these, a signifi cant proportion of respondents said they worked longer hours (43 per cent) and were more productive (40 per cent).

Our survey also hinted at a relationship between workplace stress, working hours and productivity. Fifty-three per cent of respondents reported experiencing Covid-related stress at work. Of these, half also reported working longer hours – more than our baseline of 43 per cent. Intriguingly, this group was also slightly more likely to report working fewer hours at home.

Respondents who reported increased stress were also more likely than our baseline to report decreased productivity (24 per cent, compared with 20 per cent baseline).

41% 39%

20% 43% 5% 52%

I work longer hours from home I work fewer hours from home It’s made no diff erence - I work the same number of hours

Th e Careers Survey revealed the extent to which the Covid-19 crisis is amplifying the infl uence of technology on the planning profession. Very high numbers reported using technology in new ways to support specifi c aspects of their jobs.

It is likely that some elements of planning will have changed for good. Indeed, 78 per cent of respondents agreed that planning departments will need to adopt new technologies more quickly. "Perhaps it is no surprise planners have adapted well to online working, refl ecting their skills and practical nature, and how the system itself is robust,” says Andrew Close, the RTPI’s head of careers, education and professional development. “It may be too early to say whether there will be a long-term change in working patterns but many professions will be looking at ways to take opportunity of future fl exibilities with home and offi ce working,.”

n See pages 20-26 for analysis of Covid-19's impact on the wellbeing of planners and planning's role in supporting health.

The Planner Jobs Careers Survey will be available in February. Watch our newsletters for details. Not subscribed? Sign up here bit.ly/ planner0221-subscriptions