In the midst of our current situation many of us have devised creative ideas and solutions towards managing our relationships, our commutes, our home life and our work lifestyle. 

No one has a clear idea of how life progresses after lockdown, but we can all agree that there we be some major changes in the way we live each day. This pandemic has brought about big changes in the world of work.

Those of us that have been asked to work remotely during the lockdown would mostly be asked to continue to do so for a period of time. Some of us will be asked to return back to our workplaces provided it has met the current health, hygiene and social distancing checks and standards. 

The following are some of the changes we can expect and currently experiencing in the work lifestyle post-lockdown. 

Remote Working 

Remote working has become more evident and will be permanent in many cases in the forthcoming months. To learn how to adapt and smoothly transition to remote working, check out this blog here that gives you great insight on how to do so. 

Not all of us have the benefit of working comfortably at home with all the equipment and space we require. Many of us who are working in cramped up living spaces are on the search for alternatives. Post lockdown, many of us will try working at cafes, libraries and other co-working spaces.

Remote working will undeniably take time for us to adapt to as a society and the way we function, but once we are able to grasp its potential we can seize the positive benefits it can provide. Managers and Leaders of industries now have the opportunity to revise and rethink business practices to bring about worthwhile changes that will improve work productivity post lockdown as well as employee wellbeing. 

Social Distancing

Social distancing has been put in place for our health and best interest. For those of us returning back to work, we would experience increased sanitation practices put into place in our workplace and especially in high-touch places like door handles, pantry area, printing stations etc. There would be a limit in capacity to the number of individuals in certain areas such as meeting rooms and lounges, at certain times. 

Employers have a legal obligation to prepare and provide a safe workplace and a safe day-to-day administration of the business. We can use the hygiene practices already put in place in our local supermarkets and pharmacies, where employees wear appropriate PPE, social distancing is maintained and the store attends to only a limited number of people at a time.  

Enhanced Communication 

One of the things that most of us would miss while remote working, is the social interaction at the office place. During this lockdown there has been an increased use in FaceTime chats, Zoom video conferences and also spontaneous messages and communication between our colleagues and family. 

Digital methods of communication helps us to feel and stay connected, but it also brings its drawbacks. Not having the use of vocal intonation in text messaging and body language in face-to-face contact, we loose the essence capturing and conveying the right messages.

Hence, it proves more vital now than ever to over-communicate and keep pushing to stay in touch with each other. To understand the importance of internal communication in an organisation and how to harness it to empower us in the current crisis, stay tuned for an upcoming blog post at HR Available. 

Behavioural Change 

Going through this crisis together globally, we have all had a change in mindset and perception of the functioning of our daily lives. Getting back to the office would trigger some people with a range of emotions and it is only normal. A number of people have been struggling with anxiety and lack of motivation during this phase. Darcy Gruttadaro, Director of the Center for Workplace Mental Health at the American Psychiatric Foundation says that “Mental health is the secondary story for the virus, and it’s a major concern of employers.”

On the other hand for many of us this lockdown has helped us find a new beneficial work-life balance, by spending more time at home and towards their hobbies and hopefully seeing lesser amount of pollution and traffic in their communities. This helps to de-stress and also plays a major role in enhancing our physical health. 

Office managers need to understand and find suitable solutions to address such shifts in the behaviour of their employees to help them boost their morale and well being at the company. Having comfortable conversations with your employees and then having a follow-up later on is a good place to start in order to improve employee satisfaction and retention in the company.