A recent survey of corporate board members conducted by BDO found that the health and safety of employees is, by far, their number one concern.

The 280-person survey, conducted in July, found that 71 percent believe, in the short term, that the welfare of employees is the top concern, with the creation of a more diverse and inclusive board/leadership team being a distant second, at 45 percent. When asked about long-term priorities, the two categories flip. The number one concern in this area is the building of a more diverse, inclusive board/leadership, at 50 percent, with employee welfare in second, at 46 percent.

The survey also found that the majority of board members, 61 percent, reported high or moderate levels of disruption to staffing, productivity and remote work transition. More than half, 51 percent, plan to lean into this disruption in the longer term as they intend to transition to long-term remote work for at least some employees. Consequently, 28 percent said they are planning to reduce their real estate footprint.

Many companies have been damaged by the pandemic, and the survey reflects this: 66 percent saw moderate to high impact on sales revenue, and 34 percent list waning demand as their number one business risk, compared to the 16 percent who cited access to capital. Nearly half, 48 percent, reported moderate to high disruption to their supply chain operations. This has led companies to find new sources of cash: 39 percent said they received outside funding, and an additional 26 percent said they received funding from the government. For many, this hasn't been enough, as 22 percent said they will likely seek an additional capital infusion before the end of the year.