What will the workplace culture look like after the Covid-19 pandemic?

At the onset of the pandemic, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommended that employers allow flexible working when appropriate or possible. Eight months later, in November of 2020, many employees are still working remotely full-time or in a hybrid model that splits a percentage of time working remotely and spending a few days at an office location.  As many offices begin to close the calendar year and turn toward the future, employees, finance professionals, human resources directors, and CEOs are all questioning what the future of work will look like after the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Adecco Group surveyed 8,000 people regarding how they would like to work post-COVID-19.  The survey determined that a hybrid model of remote and office work is ideal. It is a reality that many C-level executives and employees believe will improve the company's bottom line. According to the research, 3 in 4 employees appreciate the hybrid model's flexibility across all age groups, countries, and workers, including workers both with and without children.  (The Adecco Group, 2020).  The flexibility of a hybrid model allows individuals to control their schedule and feel that their outcomes are measured by their productivity and no longer a result of the hours spent at the office.

Given these perspectives, many believe that the future of remote work is here to stay, causing many organizations to rethink their overall space requirements. Estimates from the Global Workplace Analytics survey show that the average employer can reduce $11,000 in costs per employee per year for every person who works remotely half of the time.  Given these statistics, Global Workplace Analytics estimate that the longer people are required to do work at home due to the pandemic, the greater the adoption of remote work will be when the dust settles with an estimate of 25% - 30% of the U.S. workforce expected to work at home multiple days a week by the end of 2021  (Global Workplace Analytics, 2020).

But, how do employees feel about balancing work responsibilities with personal responsibilities and commitments long-term? While some individuals are experiencing fatigue related to finding child or elder care, reduced access to colleagues, and stress from no longer feeling that their homes are places to recharge, but also work, which is leading to burnout (Beckwith, 2020). Many American families want flexible choices that fit their families and rely on their ability to produce great content rather than meeting the expectation of an "ideal worker" or someone who is disproportionally compensated for their hours worked. The hope is that due to the success of remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals that thrive in flexible work arrangements can confidently seek these accommodations without fear of penalties for asking for these options.  And that accommodations for family crises will continue to be accepted by organization leaders.  (Williams, 2020). 

While the coronavirus pandemic continues to put tremendous pressure on employees and organizations, the only thing we can all expect is that workplace norms are changing due to the sudden shift to remote working culture. It will be up to us to help shape what the future of work looks like once the pandemic end.  

References

Beckwith, S. (2020, October 12). Is remote work working? . Retrieved from CFO.Com: https://www.cfo.com/workplace-issues/2020/10/remote-possibilities-2/

Global Workplace Analytics. (2020, November 1). Work-At-Home After COVID-19- Our Forecast. Retrieved from What is your work-from-home forecast for after COVID-19: https://globalworkplaceanalytics.com/work-at-home-after-covid-19-our-forecast

The Adecco Group. (2020, November 1). We asked 8,000 people how they want to work post COVID-19. Here are 5 things they told us that will likely change the world of work forever. . Retrieved from The Adecco Group: https://www.adeccogroup.com/futuhreinsight/we-asked-8000-people-how-they-want-to-work-post-covid-19-here-are-5-things-they-told-us-that-will-likely-change-the-world-of-work-forever/

Williams, B. T. (2020, April 16). What will work-life balance look like after the pandemic? . Retrieved from Havard Business Review : https://hbr.org/2020/04/what-will-work-life-balance-look-like-after-the-pandemic

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