Bureau of Labor Statistics

U.S. Business Response Survey to the Coronavirus Pandemic Questionnaire 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is looking to understand the situations your business and employees have encountered 

during the time of the Coronavirus pandemic. This information is critical as policymakers, government officials, and 

businesses like yours look to understand changes in business operations, employment, and workplace flexibilities and 

benefits.

We know your business is likely facing challenges, and we appreciate your response to this important survey. Please answer 

the short survey about this business location’s experience beginning January 1, 2020.

Please answer the following questions for this business location only.

1. As a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, which of the following did this business location experience?

Select all that apply

Shortage of supplies or inputs

Decrease in demand for products or services

Increase in demand for products or services

Difficulty in moving or shipping goods

Government-mandated closure of this business location

 None 

Don’t know

Other, specify:

2. As a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, what changes, if any, were made to employment or payroll at this business

location?

Select all that apply

Hired additional employees

Told employees not to work, with or without pay (for example, laid off or furloughed)

Increased employees’ hours of work

Reduced employees’ hours of work, employees worked at least some hours

Increased salaries and wages

Reduced salaries and wages

 None 

Don’t know

Other, specify:

3. Did this business location continue to pay some or all employees who were told not to work as a result of the

Coronavirus pandemic while they were not working?

Yes

No

Not applicable, no employees were told not to work

Don’t know
4. Did this business location continue to pay a portion of health insurance premiums for some or all employees who were

told not to work as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic?

Yes

No

Not applicable, no employees were told not to work

Not applicable, this business location does not offer health insurance

Don’t know

5. Did this business location offer more opportunities for employees to telework (work remotely) as a result of the

Coronavirus pandemic?

Select all that apply

Yes, offered telework to employees who could not telework prior to the Coronavirus pandemic

Yes, increased number of telework hours for employees already permitted to telework

No change in existing telework arrangements

No telework at this location both before and after the Coronavirus pandemic

Don’t know

6. As a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, did this business location increase the amount of paid sick leave provided to

employees?

Select all that apply

Yes, provided paid sick leave to employees who did not have paid sick leave prior to the Coronavirus pandemic

Yes, increased amount of paid sick leave for employees who already had sick leave prior to the Coronavirus 

pandemic

 No change to paid sick leave or no paid sick leave provided

Don’t know

Federal and state governments have created loans and grants to help businesses that have been hurt by the Coronavirus 

pandemic. Sources of these loans and grants, some of which were created under the CARES Act, include the Paycheck 

Protection Program, Main Street Lending Program, Economic Injury Disaster Loan, and Secondary Market Corporate Credit 

Facility.

7. Did this business location receive a Coronavirus-related loan or grant tied to re-hiring or maintaining employees on the

payroll?

Yes

No

Don’t know

8. Would you like to provide any information about changes affecting employment that this business location made in

response to the Coronavirus pandemic?

Time of completion is estimated to about 10 minutes. This estimate includes time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and 

maintaining data needed, and completing and reviewing this information. If you have any comments regarding these estimates or any other aspect of the 

survey, please contact COVID-19Survey@bls.gov. The OMB control number for the survey is 1220-0197 and it expires on 01/31/2021. Without a currently 

valid OMB number, BLS would not be able to conduct this survey.