Ten years ago, flexible working was near unheard of. People got up, went to work and came home.
Over the last few years, however, the demand for flexible working has surged, as people yearn for more flexibility and autonomy over their working hours, not to mention the growing demand for a work-life balance that doesn’t impact our mental health. Some companies see flexible working as an integral part of their company culture, whilst others see it as a nuisance and a means for employees to slack off… but what happens when we don’t have a choice but to work from home?
Enter Covid-19.
In the space of three months, the working world as we know it has changed drastically. Working from home is now the new normal for many of us and when the restrictions are lifted, it’s highly likely flexible working will be implemented on a much bigger scale amongst companies big and small.
Here’s what could happen…
- People may realise the true value of family time, especially with the kids off school. Jobs are still being done, companies are still making money and employees are able to spend more time with their family. Why go back to the old outdated routine?
- Video chatting and Zoom conferences become the norm. People no longer need to go into the office just for a meeting, especially as the hassle of setting up new tech on everyone’s laptops has already been done at the start of the lockdown.
- The demand for shared, collaborative spaces will increase as office capacity decreases, meaning there’s more space for people who do go into work and potentially less overhead costs for a business that share a workspace.
- Paternity leave could increase, giving new dads the opportunity to spend more time with their baby without worrying about returning to work after 14 days.
- More individuals viewing flexible working as a given rather than a perk when applying for jobs. Over the coming years, companies could see a significant increase in the demand for flexible working policies. The current pandemic could initiate a surge in demand for flexible working amongst businesses across the world and with growing evidence to suggest that it boosts productivity, employee satisfaction, and mental health, we can’t think of a better way for businesses to evolve after Coronavirus.
