The Pandemic as a Catalyst for a New Work Culture

Remote work is forcing a change in the office routine, while some people are struggling, many are considering working remotely indefinitely after the lockdown.

Millions of workers are participating in an unprecedented experiment that has transformed the way we view the office. According to a survey conducted by Gallup, 62 % of employed Americans say that they have worked from home during the health crisis, a number that has doubled since mid-March. Even companies like Nationwide Insurance have already adopted these measures and have decided to make remote work shifts a permanent modality.

Many people wonder whether these changes are setting a precedent for the future of the office as we know it. Business Insider foresees that the concept of the office itself will be transformed from a place where you go every day to a rather well-thought-out center for meetings and collaborative work. Under this new concept, the rest of your workweek will likely take place in your own home, considering that various architectural firms are already designing office plans for the near future, and companies are discussing how much office space they really need. “The return to the office will likely be marked by two waves: before a vaccine, and after a vaccine. In the short term, offices will feel emptier than before as people return in shifts to workplaces with more private spaces, cubicles separated by plastic guards, and hallways signposted for one-way traffic. In the long term, the office might convert into the social backbone of a company while focused individual work will take place remotely,” suggests Alex Nicoll.

“As the push to reopen the country’s economy intensifies, so do feelings of dread at the idea of returning to the office.”

Ever since people have adapted their work routines within the home, lo-fi hip-hop playlists on Spotify to accompany the home office have become increasingly popular, and many people want this change to be maintained after the quarantine. Studies reveal that three out of five workers in the United States who have done their work from home during the pandemic would prefer to continue working remotely as much as possible.

What are the benefits of the home office?

Several people have found that their levels of productivity and efficiency have improved during their experience with telework. “As the push to reopen the country’s economy intensifies, so do feelings of dread at the idea of returning to the office,” said professor and anthropologist Jeff Anderson to The New York Times. Those who have developed better working online fear that the benefits they have found will disappear once the confinement is over. One study by IBM this past month of April, where more than 25,000 Americans were interviewed, explains the changes in personal behavior resulting from the crisis. The study reported that three out of four workers indicated that they would like to continue working remotely at least occasionally, while more than half (54%) would like this to be their primary form of work.

Preferred by many, this online modality has also been singled out by various experts as a healthier alternative to the traditional office. Full-time remote workers are 22% happier than those in face-to-face offices. They also report better concentration, less stress, and 43% higher productivity. Also, working from home not only offers positive aspects to workers, but companies can save by renting smaller spaces for offices where meetings take place occasionally.

Some of the benefits that The New York Times attributes to the home office are:

• Savings on housing and transport, since working from home allows people to live outside the city.

• Shorter commutes.

• Increased productivity.

• Lower risk of contagion.

Remote work and social interaction

On the other hand, while remote work is an excellent option for first-time families, people with disabilities, and those living in secluded areas, some are not entirely convinced about this new system. Despite the advantages it offers, some studies show that the extra productivity provided by telework also leads to lows in creativity and innovative thinking, as working in isolation can become lonely. Many of the people who are not excited about the home office report greater difficulty in separating the home from work. “There’s a missing element of social interaction that’s really important,” said Laszlo Bock, the CEO of Humu, a new Silicon Valley human resources company.

Unfortunately, sexist behaviors within the office are also present at remote work. In video call meetings, many women are constantly interrupted and ignored. “I’m interrupted, like, three times, and then I try to speak again, and then two other people are speaking at the same time interrupting each other,” said Mita Mallick, head of diversity and inclusion at the consumer goods company Unilever.

Remote work and homeschooling

Remote work can be quite a different experience for families with children who are facing the challenge of homeschooling while at the same time having to fulfill the obligations of the office and domestic work. In a landscape where women are the ones doing most of the household chores, mothers are experiencing these difficulties more acutely. Ann Vegdahl, who works at the academy in New York City and her husband, a software engineer, have a two-year-old son, and she is seven months pregnant. Before the pandemic, her son was usually in daycare during the eight business hours, but now the three are at home together. Now, Vegdahl estimates that she is only achieving between 40 and 50 percent of her usual workload, as she explains it in Vox.

Some working mothers become involved in the forced prioritization of jobs. “It’s, well, whose meeting is more important at 10 a.m.? It’s like fighting about which movie you’re going to watch but with your job and your ego and your mental wellness on the line,” mentioned Nan Krafft. According to Dr. Alina Salesicoff, Director of Women’s Health Policy at Kaiser, women usually are paid less money because of domestic work responsibilities. This means that when couples have to decide whose work will be affected, it is more likely to be hers.

“For remote work to be successful, employers need to provide the right equipment and support.”

The challenges for families who have the privilege of working from home have become a new reality, and these are even more problematic in single-parent families, homes having children with special needs, those who are homeless, and people for whom teleworking is not an option. If we add factors such as the current financial crisis, and the lack of necessary equipment needed for working online, the inequality widens even more.

It should be noted that remote work has been an unattainable scenario for all health workers, emergency personnel, supermarket employees, considered essential staff. Meanwhile, millions are losing their jobs. In the U.S., more than 30 million Americans who have been laid off. In Mexico, 346,000 jobs have been cut and unenrolled from the ISSSTE (Institute of Security and Social Services of State Workers), as reported by STPS.

Remote work requires proper equipment and support

Remote employability is not a possibility for many people. And for some companies that have been pressured into the online transition, it represents a challenge they are not sure they can meet. A survey conducted by IBM reported that more than half of CEOs in the United States do not feel equipped with the skills and human resources needed to execute their business strategies through remote work. Similarly, one study shows that 6 of every 10 Mexican workers believe that their companies are not prepared to adapt to this modality. Their concern is valid, since, as Forbes brings up, remote work, like any type of work, requires special conditions. “For remote work to be successful, employers need to provide the right equipment and other support,” said Laurel Farrer, chief executive of Distribute Consulting, a business consulting firm. “And employees must be able to get work done without supervision.”

Some experts argue that a complete transition to working from home is not the goal, but establishing specific occasional shifts of remote work, ideally, one to two days a week, could bring many benefits to work culture. Many people would like this environment to remain after the pandemic. “There’s a softer, more honest version of ourselves, without a filter, that I’m enjoying getting to know,” said Benetua-Rolens. “There is room to be forgiving and understanding among ourselves. And it’s because we’ve all had to adjust.” Rico Sisney, who works for Greenpeace USA, says he would like to continue seeing the types of emails that his organization has been sending lately, which encourage employees to take walks and small breaks.

Paola Villafuerte

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This article from Observatory of the Institute for the Future of Education may be shared under the terms of the license CC BY-NC-SA 4.0