COVID 19 is likely causing organizations across the board to evaluate and rethink their position on telecommuting. Organizations already practicing the arrangement that allows employees to work remotely, or from home were better prepared to continue as close to business as usual during social distancing. Organizations that were sceptical of the practice of telecommuting are now having the evidence they need that employees can be as, if not more productive, working from home as they are onsite.
In time, organizations will evaluate the cost savings realized from not needing to provide workspaces and the onsite technology required to keep employees onsite. This is one benefit most organizations will not be able to overlook if there is not a logistical need to have people in the office.
Businesses will need to recognize that employees, having adapted to the convenience of working from home will want to continue doing so. In some cases, employees will request a hybrid between working from home fulltime and being onsite at predefined intervals. Leaders will need to formulate a response to employees who have proven they can be productive at home and wish to continue after COVID 19 is contained.
Cubicles are back. Open concept workspace is now a thing of the past. To provide for the security of employees who must be onsite, companies will need to rethink this practice. Employees will want a personal space that they can keep sanitized. They will want a shield from colleagues unaware they are carrying a virus, and to minimize the possibility of they themselves transmitting one to someone unknowingly.
The steps that organizations take to protect their employees while effectively operating their businesses as a result of this pandemic, will better prepare them for future viruses.
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