It is a headline you have seen many times since March 2020, but as we approach the one-year anniversary of this global crisis, what have we learned about the workplace transformation and how will it look after the pandemic?
Remote Work Perspectives
One of the most significant changes to the workplace was the sudden and dramatic shift to working from home. According to a study called “Work from Home after the Covid-19 Outbreak,” it is estimated that about a third of the U.S. workforce worked from home in May 2020, compared to a little more than 8% in February 2020.
Most discussions regarding work from home have been from an employer’s perspective, but how do employees feel? According to a recent survey, “Working from home during COVID-19: What do employees really want?,” by the non-profit news organization, The Conversation, opinions of working from home vary significantly. In a study of Canadian and Australian university employees, a few indicated a preference to work from home on a full-time, permanent basis, while most of those surveyed preferred splitting time 50/50 between working from home and at an office. The survey also showed that many employees want to work from home now more than they did before the start of the pandemic.
Opinions on Remote Work
The divergent opinions on working from home are most likely affected by individual circumstances. A single person living in a studio apartment has a much different environment than a parent with school-aged children. Employees who enjoy working from home often cite the elimination of daily commuting and reduced interruptions as positive aspects. Meanwhile, those less satisfied with their work from home experiences report that loneliness, isolation, and depression are heightened while working from home compared to an office environment. Working remotely has also disrupted the work/life balance employees have become accustomed to. For many, it is difficult to determine where the line between work and life lies.
Will Remote Work Continue?
As COVID-19 vaccinations begin to be widely distributed this year and the pandemic hopefully subsides, will the workplace return to pre-pandemic norms or will work from home continue? Based on employees’ desires, it will probably be somewhere in between. Work from home is a complex issue, and employers need to be flexible. Invite your employees to be a part of the conversation on how your workplace will look in the future.
This issue of CFMA Building Profits includes several articles related to working remotely, and I hope this information can provide you and your organization the foresight necessary to plan your post-pandemic workplace.
Copyright © 2021 by the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA). All rights reserved. This article first appeared in January/February 2021 CFMA Building Profits magazine.