Threat of 2nd COVID-19 Wave Biggest Executive Worry, Finds Gartner

Senior executives consider the possibility of a second COVID-19 wave their most concerning threat, reported Gartner Thursday. It canvassed 119 executives across most industries and geographies, finding their “operational concerns” also continued to dwell on managing long-term remote work, it said. “The consistency with which executives around the world are highlighting the second wave of COVID-19 as the top risk is notable in light of a looming and significant U.S. presidential election, continued extreme weather events and broad social instability.” Beyond accounting for the health and safety of employees in a second wave “is the prolonged and dramatic impacts to how organizations will work effectively,” said Gartner. It found 19% of employees will work from home permanently, compared with 10% pre-pandemic. “We are beginning to see executives come to terms with prolonged remote work in a way that wasn’t feasible in the early stages of the pandemic,” said Gartner. The “abruptness” of the move away from physical offices revealed “large operational holes in the ability to manage people and risks,” it said. “HR leaders have drastically stepped up their programs for monitoring employee productivity, with 73% indicating they are partaking in some sort of monitoring, compared to less than half in April.”