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Houston Business Barometer Week 8: More than Half of Surveyed Companies Say They've Brought Employees Back to the Workplace

Published May 27, 2020 by A.J. Mistretta

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Nearly 42% of area companies say they have recalled some of their employees who had been working from home back to the workplace in recent weeks, according to the latest survey from the Greater Houston Partnership. 

About 10% of those surveyed said they have recalled all of their employees to the worksite and another 36% say they have yet to recall employees who have been working from home. 

Twenty-eight percent of the companies that responded to this week’s Houston Business Barometer survey said their firm’s short-term outlook was better this week than last week. About 60% say their outlook is about the same this week as last week while another 12% say their outlook is worse.  

About 38% of respondents said their operations have been severely impacted by the pandemic, the same as last week. Another 39% report a moderate impact on their operations. Nearly 32% said their revenues have declined since their last billing cycle. 

Approximately 30% of companies said they had partially or fully reopened their previously shuttered operations in recent weeks, while another 15% of respondents said they had not yet reopened. Fifty-five percent reported they never halted operations. 

Just over 73% of respondents to this week’s survey say they did not furlough employees during the shutdown. More than 14 said they have recalled all or some of their furloughed employees and 13% said they have not yet recalled any furloughed employees. 

Asked what elements of their business they might reassess in response to their COVID-19 experience, the top three answers among respondents this week were: telecommuting practices, technology needs and relationship with customers. 

A total of 67 companies responded to the seventh Houston Business Barometer survey conducted by the Partnership between May 26 and 27. 

See results from Week 7.  
 

Get information and guidelines on reopening businesses safely from the Partnership's Houston Work Safe Program. Visit the Partnership's COVID-19 Resource page for updates, guidance for employers and more information.

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Brooksource: Brooksource is a business management consultant based in Houston, Texas that specializes in delivering Engineering and IT solutions and initiatives for Fortune 500 organizations. Website. Capital IDEA Houston, LLC: Capital IDEA Houston is a non-profit that fully funds education and training for adults who are unemployed or have lower-paying jobs, providing educational pathways to attain thriving careers and financial self-sufficiency. Website. Cell Therapy Manufacturing Center (CTMC): CTMC is a joint venture between National Resilience and MD Anderson Cancer Center located in the Texas Medical Center. CTMC unites robust biopharmaceutical manufacturing with access to MD Anderson Cancer Center’s leading research capabilities into groundbreaking medicines to cure cancer. Website. Complete Shipping Solutions Corp.: Complete Shipping Solutions is a global 3PL solutions provider, offering industry-leading technology through a SMARTT Shipping platform. Website. Corporate Catering Concierge: Corporate Catering Concierge is a catering company offering a wide selection of food options and personalized menu planning. Website. Definity First: Definity First is an IT consulting firm of advanced enterprise-grade solutions with expertise in Custom Development, Staffing, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, Office 365, Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM, and Microsoft Copilot, as well as tailored additional services for on-premises Microsoft products. Website. Greenback Cost Recovery: Greenback Cost Recovery, LLC is a Houston-based company that specializes in delivering bottom line improvements to businesses by recovering overpayments and reducing ongoing costs associated with property tax, telecommunications, and real estate leases. Website. Houston Business Journal: Houston Business Journal is a newspaper publisher that delivers local business news, breaking news alerts, newsletters, business intelligence and local business networking for the Houston, Texas, region. Website. H-Town Dream Center: H-Town Dream Center is a community center in Splendora, Texas with a mission to give the hope, healing and freedom of Christ to the most vulnerable by feeding the hungry, rescuing women and children in crisis, and educating at-risk youth. Website. Intervene K-12: Intervene K-12 uses data-driven instruction with online small group intervention programs to help K-12 schools improve student outcomes, providing a fully integrated intervention program educators use to drive measurable student growth. Website. Magnum Staffing Services, Inc.: Magnum Staffing Services is a recruiting and staffing solutions firm based in Houston, Texas, specializing in workforce strategy, talent management, and providing staffing solutions for various industries, including warehouse distribution, logistics, manufacturing, and professional services. Website. Metro Houston Charter Bus: Metro Houston Charter Bus is a charter bus rental company providing flexible scheduling, trained drivers, and transparent pricing to make budgeting simple. Website. Minaret Foundation: Minaret Foundation is a multi-faith organization based in Houston, Texas focused on bringing faith communities together by tackling on issues related to child welfare and food insecurity. Website. Moelis & Co.: Moelis & Company is a global independent investment bank that provides financial advisory services to corporations, governments, and financial sponsors. Website. Mo'Kai'Ana Luxury Transport: Mo'Kai'Ana is a luxury chauffeur service for special events in Cypress, TX and the surrounding Houston Area, offering a variety of van services fully licensed by the city of Houston with background checked chauffeurs. Website. One Digital: OneDigital Impact Studio is an insurance brokerage, financial services, and HR consulting firm that provides a centralized platform that equips companies with real-time visibility and heightened control over their organization's total spending. Website. Palletized Trucking, Inc.: Palletized Trucking provides freight transportation services for domestic and international markets shipping through the Port of Houston to sectors including the petrochemical, construction, fabrication, energy, oilfield, and manufacturing industries. Website. Plug and Play Tech Center: Plug and Play Tech Center is an American venture capital firm headquartered in Sunnyvale, California focusing on deploying capital to early-stage technology companies. Website. Rigid Global Buildings: Rigid Global Buildings is metal buildings manufacturer based in Houston, Texas, offering custom and pre-engineered metal building solutions. Website. SKW Real Estate: SKW Real Estate is a real estate agency specializing in buying and selling homes, serving the Houston area. Website. The Hackett Center at Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute: The Hackett Center at Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute is non-profit organization working at the intersection of policy and programs to create equitable systemic changes so all people in Texas, the nation, and the world can obtain the health care they need. Website. Tricon Energy: Tricon Energy is a logistics service in Houston, Texas that offers chemical and plastics trading and distribution services in general and liquid chemical, aromatic, methanol, solvent, chlor alkali, and more. Website. Trinity River Authority: The Trinity River Authority of Texas is a conservation and reclamation district that provides water and wastewater treatment, along with recreation and reservoir facilities, within the nearly 18,000-square-mile Trinity River basin. Website. Venice: The Bridge Church is a nondenominational Christian church serving the Venice, FL, community with a mission to help people find and follow Jesus Christ here and around the world. Website.  Zoho: Zoho is an Indian multinational technology company that makes computer software and web-based business tools designed to help break down silos between departments and increase organizational efficiency. Website.   Click here to see the Partnership's Membership Directory.   To learn more about membership with the Greater Houston Partnership click here, or contact membership@houston.org.
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