Wednesday, March 27, 2024

How the pandemic changed office working

This year has been a tumultuous one. With entire nations being locked down and forced to work from home, balancing home, work, and children all from the kitchen table, it’s no wonder the concept of office work is set to change in the post-pandemic world.

Moving to a remote model of working has meant businesses and employees have had to get to grips with technology quickly and learn to balance flexible hours with their home lives. Whether for better or worse, the pandemic has completely overhauled our approach to working, and we might have to get used to this new look for the foreseeable future.

From a focus on health and wellbeing, and virtual conferencing with systems like the Clickshare conference system, to flexible working hours and locations, this new way of working has been embraced across the world. Take a look below to see just how office work has changed and will continue to change post-pandemic.

Focus on health and wellbeing of employees

Living through a pandemic meant that we all had to get to grips with the new normal of hand sanitizing, mask-wearing and social distancing, and offices were no different. As the nation goes back to work, offices are still being restricted by space meaning fewer employees can be on-site at a time. Cue hybrid working.

Hybrid working has allowed many to continue to work remotely and enjoy flexibility in where they’re working each day. This way of working allows employees to use commute times and lunch hours to practice more healthy habits, like taking a walk and eating a homecooked meal.

On top of this, businesses have been reimagining workspaces and considering the wellbeing of employees when they are on site. This includes investing in better ventilation systems, cleaner areas and appliances, even renovating the toilet and bathroom partitions and utilizing more natural light, encouraging comfort and wellbeing in their on-site employees. Offices have also gone contactless meaning fewer germs are spread throughout offices and employees have more convenient ways of communicating with their colleagues.

Virtual meetings, conferences, and presentations

Moving online meant that any and all meetings had to take place online. With travel restricted to only the most essential trips, overseas business meetings came to a halt, and we all learned the value of online video conferencing. Added enhancements, like the Clickshare conference software, means that virtual meetings can take place in boardrooms, connecting a meeting room on one side of the world to another.

Virtual working, while providing convenience during the pandemic, has also opened our eyes to the possible monetary savings we could be making. Cutting overseas meetings and opting for virtual conferencing means that money can be saved on travel expenses. Likewise, if meetings, presentations, and other collaborative events can take place on Teams then there is less need for physical conference rooms. Going virtual means businesses can save on office space and the bills that come along with that. In addition to meetings, team bonding and yearly conferences have also begun to operate virtually. Using companies like https://escapely.com/, companies can incorporate employee collaboration with virtual escape games. Perfect for large team events! 

Flexible working

We’ve talked a lot about hybrid working since the nation started to reopen and allow people back into offices. Hybrid working is a work dynamic that allows employees to work from home some days and in the office on others. It means that employees with children can split their time and be available for more pickups and drop-offs. It also means that people who may have caring obligations can work around these by working out a flexible schedule that suits them.

Hybrid working is, perhaps, the most revolutionary model that has come out of the pandemic and it could do wonders to close the gender gap by ensuring working mothers can have the availability to care for their children and still be able to work.

abubakarbilal
abubakarbilal
Abubakar is a writer and digital marketing expert. Who has founded multiple blogs and successful businesses in the fields of digital marketing, software development. A full-service digital media agency that partners with clients to boost their business outcomes.
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