The New Normal – What will the workplace look like?
With lockdown restrictions being slowly eased and some of us returning to the workplace, how will our working lives change? Will we embrace remote work as the new way forward or will we at least have some flexibility regarding our working life?
Many of us may never return to the office but for those who do decide to reopen places of work, there will be many practical implications to think about to ensure a safe environment for when employees return. Offices will look quite different from those we left behind a couple of months ago. So, what will our new normal look like?
How do you want your future work to proceed?
The main question here is whether we will return to the office or adopt remote working as the permanent workplace. For those who need to be physically present to do their jobs, think about returning employees to work in waves. Employees will need to understand that the workplace will look and operate differently prior to the pandemic and so this will need to be communicated to them. Those employees who can work from home without it affecting their productivity should be able to do so to cut down on the numbers of those actually in the workplace.
Some employers might also consider looking for flexible office space rather than being tied down into a long-term lease. Now is a huge opportunity to work smarter – to really identify what our priorities are and what our expectations of the workforce are.
Flexibility should be paramount
For leaders who start developing a roadmap for how the workplace will look, keep employees at the forefront of these plans. If you’re heading into a virtual environment for the long haul, think about the downfalls and benefits of the physical working environment and what you can do to adapt to the remote workplace without compromising the employee experience. Employees may want flexible working hours - listen to any concerns and be open to change. Mainstreaming flexibility is the future and by adjusting our mindsets, we can remove any barriers and make it work.
Be aware that some employees may have household distractions including children at home, technology and WiFi issues, or they may easily feel the effects of isolation and lack of human interaction. Despite many of us adapting well over the last couple of months, there will likely still be issues to iron out. Now is the time to firm up technology services so that workers are able to get on with their roles confidently and productively. This is still very much an adjustment period so remain flexible.
Figure out what is essential
Many of us have swapped the countless unnecessary face-to-face meetings to video calls instead, no longer needing to travel and being able to get straight down to the point. Figure out what needs to be face-to-face, and most importantly what doesn’t. For those working from home, whilst you should stay connected and communicating with your colleagues, make sure you don’t fall into the same trap of attending meetings that won’t be productive for you. It’s all about finding the right balance.
Think about whether you can move some of your usual face-to-face events and conferences to an online platform. Whilst this won’t always be possible for all events, and some may need to be postponed, in the future if you are able to offer a virtual streaming option to your event, this will make a safer, more inclusive environment for everyone.
The value of remote working
In a recent blog post, Twitter announced that its employees can now work from home forever if that is something they want to do, and many more companies may soon follow suit.
Remote working is an opportunity for everyone to sustainably change their way of working which will be financially beneficial in the long-term. For many of us, there will be less commuting, less travelling to business meetings, and fewer office overheads. There are also likely to be fewer absences due to illness and a renewed sense of morale.
And whilst it’s too early to say to what extent our working lives will change once we emerge from this crisis, it is likely that remote working will become an integral part of how we work and this new flexible lifestyle is here to stay.
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