Consumer concerns about the ability of children to return to child care or school, and adults to return to the workplace highlight the findings in the most recent release of survey results from the Consumers Council of Canada’s Public Interest Network (PIN).

The Council has completed a number of surveys with its PIN membership since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The most recent publication Public Interest Network Perspectives: COVID-19 and Consumers covers the results of two surveys completed in July that focused on severe concerns around the September re-opening of schools and childcare, as well as the return of parents to the workplace.

Compared with results of other surveys of PIN participants, it also showed some modest changes in some of the longer-held attitudes about COVID-19 response priorities, how little tolerance consumers have for malfeasance, how refund policies are not meeting consumer expectations and how consumers weigh social welfare concerns against economic concerns.

The PIN is a national network of thoughtful, knowledgeable Canadian consumers and is free to join. The Council consults the PIN about important public and consumer policy issues being considered by government, corporations and consumer organizations.

Both the most recent report and an earlier report that summarized four previous PIN membership surveys are available for purchase on the Council’s online store.