How will the post-COVID workplace look like?

THIS EVENT IS:

• Global – it was not a single-continent-isolated event, like the case of Ebola virus, that affected primarily the African continent.
• Enduring – unlike other natural disasters, like a tornado or a tsunami, this virus has shown persistence across the whole year, and soon it will be almost a whole year with it in our lives.
• Life-changing – it changed how we greet people, we had to stop partying, the school system had to completely go online and other segments, in which the coronavirus caused earth-shattering disruptions.
• Omnipresent – whenever you turn on the radio or the TV, there will be at least one or two articles about the recent news with the coronavirus.

For the corporate people, some things will probably return to the way they were before, but some things, how we think and do stuff at work, will change forever.

Here are some of those most likely permanent changes that might happen:

• Workplace flexibility – when the pandemic struck, workers were quick on their feet and figured out how to work from home, hence, the #wfh hashtag was born and exploded. People have proven to be even more productive when working from home, than while working in the office, as it gives them more time to do house chores, no time on the commute, and other benefits. A recent survey conducted by Gallup stated that 54% of U.S. workers would leave their current job for a one where they can work remotely. The increased flexibility between #wfh and from the office is something that will stand a company apart from its peers. An article from Harvard Business Review stated that a hybrid model called “3-2-2” might gain popularity in the coming months as it means that workers will work 3 days in the office, 2 from home and they have 2 days free.
• Office spaces – temperature checks and social distancing will probably stick for a while, but once that is remedied with vaccination, the office might become more about interaction and community, rather than the usual “heads-down” focus mode, according to Tim Cook from Apple.
• Work-ready homes – people were forced to work from home. Most homes don’t have a dedicated workplace at their homes and according to a study by GetApp , said they lacked the proper technology to properly do their remote work. The other is the Internet – being in a Teams or Zoom video call is heavy on the bandwidth and the ISP will have to improve the Internet drastically quickly and quickly.E-learning will shine – tied to the last point, since everyone is mostly working from home, students and pupils are forced to do their school chores online, and e-learning is in full swing. Teachers and professors are doing their best to transfer the knowledge online, but they are also struggling with new technology. E-learning for companies is gaining more popularity and is pushing out the traditional video-learning at the office.

We are in a perfect position to reshape the current workplace culture, in order to get what we need the most, and that is quality spent time.

Sources in Info Boxes.