No matter what industry you work in the way we work will change post pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed and reshaped the workplace. From the daily commute to work to how we interact with our co-workers. While some changes may be temporary, other changes may be permanent.
Here are some ways that the pandemic will/has changed the workplace.
Working from home longterm
The past few months have proven that a lot of businesses can function with it’s employees working from home.
Twitter has announced that many of its employees will be permitted to work from home permanently even after the end of the coronavirus lockdowns.
A Twitter spokesperson said:
“The past few months have proven we can make that work. So if our employees are in a role and situation that enables them to work from home and they want to continue to do so forever, we will make that happen.”
Other companies such as Google and Facebook have announced that they’re likely to continue telework throughout the rest of the year for most of their employees.
Social distancing and face masks will become the new normal
The retail and healthcare industries were the first to go through these drastic changes. Workers have to be physically apart and where it’s not possible they have to wear gloves and a mask. For many office workers, this will be challenging, especially if it’s an open office. Many companies will need to rethink the structure of their office space.
More work meetings
There will probably be more and longer meetings because there is no longer the usual small checkpoints such as going by someone’s desks to ask a question or brief informal meetings.
In addition, instead of having meetings in enclosed rooms and spaces, people may now opt to have them at their desks instead, where they can be socially distanced.
Less business travel
Most people have been at home during the pandemic, therefore there has been no business travel. Travel will probably be one of the last industries to go back to normal. It could be years until conferences feel safe again. Many people will likely decide that the travel risks and costs just aren’t worth the hassle when a Zoom meeting or call would suffice.
Co-worker and team relationships will be different
The way we communicate with our co-workers at work will change. Working remotely has already affected communication between teams. Most of the time people know everything that is happening in their team and a little bit of what is happening in cross-functional teams. But when you’re working remotely you can be isolated from that information.
Moreover, so many co-workers’ relationships are forged through shared events, lunches together, or doing projects together in closed spaces. The way that we communicate will change as all of us will have to work a little bit harder to communicate with our co-workers.
What other ways do you think the workplace will be affected post-pandemic?
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