Ready to go back to work? Most organizations in Canada say they’re not.

Results of a recent survey of nearly 300 businesses conducted by The Conference Board of Canada last week shows that only 8 percent of companies said their businesses were fully prepared to resume operations once government-imposed shutdown orders were lifted. More than 85 percent of companies surveyed said they were either “nearly prepared” or “somewhat prepared” to re-open their doors.

The survey, which was conducted on May 11, also looked at measures companies intend to take to bring employees back into workplaces, the strategies they intend to put in place to keep employees safe while at work, and the steps they will take to accommodate employees who might be at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

“For employees returning to workplaces, safety will be paramount. The virus will likely find loopholes in safety measures we put in place,” says Allison Cowan, director of human capital at The Conference Board of Canada. “Employers will need to continually adapt, and this could include bringing employees back and then having to close workplaces again.”

During the pandemic, most employers have directed employees to work remotely. With governments relaxing restrictions and allowing more businesses to operate, employers face the question of how to bring workers back to the office. Forty percent of those surveyed say they will require workers to return to the workplace in at least some capacity. Four percent said they would require employees to come back to work full-time, and 30 percent said employees could continue to work remotely full time.

The challenge for many employers is that some workers are at higher risk of several health issues as a result of COVID-19 than others. People over the age of 65, those with weakened immune systems, and those with medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and hypertension are particularly at risk.

Return to work plans therefore have to take into account who can come back, when and in what capacity.

The survey found that only half of employers will allow employees who are not comfortable returning to the workplace to stay home. It also asked under which conditions employers would exempt employees from returning to work. Ninety-six percent of employers said they would allow workers with high risk of illness from COVID-19 to stay away. Eighty-six percent said they would exempt workers with caregiving responsibilities, such as looking after children and elderly family members, to stay away; 84 percent said they would exempt workers with family members at high risk of illness from COVID-19, and 60 percent said with would exempt workers with family members in high-risk jobs relating to COVID-19.

So what safety measures are companies putting place to ensure worker safety in the workplace? Chief among these is cleaning work surfaces and high-touch elements. Employers are also adding new hand-washing facilities and hand sanitizer stations. Many are limiting business travel, limiting face-to-face meetings, providing personal protective equipment, posting signage and spacing out employees.

In terms of plans for return, the most popular approaches were to bring employees back in phases, to restrict the number of people working on site, controlling on site movements, and alternating on-site schedules.

Finally, the report about companies’ plans to prepare for a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts suggest that could happen as soon as September. Twenty-eight percent of employers say they have plans in place for a workplace re-exist, while 62 percent say they’re working on such a plan.