Over two months into lockdown with an unclear end in sight and companies such as Google, Facebook and Twitter seem to be “paving the way” for a world of permanent remote working.
While remote working was becoming more and more common, many people still found themselves feeling guilty for working from home or having to fight their corner for their one weekly remote day. Fast forward to the global pandemic we now know as Covid19 and businesses have been forced to accept a full time virtual office and embrace an alternative workplace.
Many of us felt the initial benefits of this new remote lifestyle, no more 6am wake up calls, no commuting in rush hour, lunchtime exercise, more evening time with your family, increased productivity - the list goes on.
However as time goes on I am seeing more and more people who have lost the initial buzz of these benefits and are now looking forward to going back to the normality of the workplace.
For some remote working can be isolating, many people thrive in an environment where they can bounce ideas off their co-workers and get involved in spur of the moment projects.
Secondly, there is a loss of the social aspect - how many times have you had a tough day and a colleague has invited you for a quick drink or to grab a bite to eat to help you de-stress and wind down.
For many their work life balance can actually decrease; many people find the lack of physical distinction between the workplace and home can make it harder to switch off and unplug.
While we should all be working towards keeping our key workers and those around us safe and protected the government has begun to ease restrictions for a reason. Rather than make a huge U turn before we even know the full extent of what the future holds for the workplace, why not initially consider a hybrid policy?
Don’t completely remove the option for those who struggle working from home before there is a clear picture. Each employee is different and we should be working to ensure that all employees are given access to a work environment they feel most comfortable in for them to succeed. Why not issue an employee survery to get a clear understanding of what each employee feels they need from their work environment to be successful?
FOOD FOR THOUGHT?!