No, Work will not Go, “Back to Normal”
I’ve been working from home for over a year. As a matter of fact, I started a new job mid-pandemic, after my old office closed, and just after my now-employer transitioned our team to 100% remote work. I think we can’t just “go back to normal” in the workplace, even now that vaccinations are rising, and there is more optimism than ever for a life like we had in the, “before time”. I firmly believe that the changes to work we have seen during the pandemic are here to stay.
While there are definite benefits to remote work, there are also very real circumstances that have made remote work for many, another negative side-effect of the pandemic, which has left many craving social interaction. Anyone who has previously worked in an office setting knows that bumping into a collogue in the hall is a workplace past-time. That said, like everything else impacted by COVID, many workers have now found themselves in a “new normal,” which includes having new “co-workers,” that are perhaps…a bit more furry than our their in-office counterparts. Our furry co-workers bring us joy in different ways, and the internet has taken notice.
Speaking of new normal, workdays have now shifted, as working from home has allowed a bit more flexibility on what it means to be “in-office.” Lunchtime walks, and mid-day naps (or in some cases, mid-day showers) now occupy the time between Zoom meetings, and the thought of giving those up is almost a non-negotiable for some workers who are finding they have to return to the office sooner than they were prepared for.
On a more serious note, companies have taken notice on the tangible benefits of allowing their employees a more flexible work arrangement, and notable business analysts have made predictions that, while vary to a degree, all draw a similar conclusion — office work will not magically return “back to normal”.
In fact, some say that the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the pandemic have accelerated existing trends — and technology has provided an opportunity for flexible work arrangements that take the best of both in-office, and remote worlds, to become the new status quo.
After all, if productivity persists, and employees are motivated — and in some cases, more so — who could argue with the evolution of work being permanent, rather than another factor of life that we want to get “back to normal?”
As for me, I’ve learned that I like my furry co-workers, but I miss the feeling of bumping into my human collogues in the halls. I like the afternoon walk around my neighborhood, but also like the crunch of the morning commute. I look forward to the evolution of the workplace that will allow me to bring my laptop to a coffee shop on Monday, wrap up my project, call it a day, get back home and get a ride on my Peloton bike, and prepare myself for the rush of the drive to the office to attend a team meeting in the office on Tuesday morning, which is in itself a bit ironic — because, I know that day is just around the corner — for me and millions of others who are privileged to be able to even debate whether or not we should be in the office in the first place.
