U.S. finance executives rank the safety of employees and customers as their greatest pandemic-related business concern as some return mainly – or entirely – to on-site operations, according to a third-quarter survey.
The AICPA Business and Industry Economic Outlook Survey, released Sept. 3, examined how companies are thinking about remote work and office space plans for the next 12 months.
Optimism rose among finance executives from the second quarter to this quarter, the survey found, but it remains lower overall compared to the start of 2020, before COVID-19 disrupted business globally.
The safety of employees and customers ranked as the top concern of executives at 33%, followed by uncertainty over stay-at-home restrictions (22%) and customer demand/ability to pay (22%).