Jennifer Webster SHRM-CP
Human Resources Advisor, Silberman Group
October 15, 2021
Covid-19 has changed the face of work forever. We will never go back to the way things “used to be”. The sooner we learn to accept and embrace our new normal, the better off we will all be. One of the positive aspects to come out of this difficult situation is the acceptance that employees can work from anywhere. Pre-pandemic, only the most progressive companies had work from home policies. This pandemic has taught employers to trust their employees to work outside of the office and still accomplish the goals that have been set for them. There are great benefits to the employer and the employee when individuals can work from anywhere.
Employers have an increased talent pool. They no longer are tied to hiring individuals in the location where the company is based. The exact person with the right skills, experience and personality can be hired no matter where he/she lives. Employers have lower overhead costs and may be able to stop leasing office space altogether. Employees have increased productivity because they are able to take breaks when they need to which improves performance, motivation, and creativity.
Employees can work and live anywhere. This can contribute to an improved work/life balance. As long as employees have a reliable internet connection, it doesn’t matter where the work is being done as long as it is being done. Working hours can be more flexible, allowing employees to work around childcare schedules and to work during the hours they feel most productive, which for some people doesn’t fit within the 9-5 schedule. Commuting time is eliminated. Long commutes can negatively impact everyone involved from employees and their families to employers themselves.
While the pandemic has brought many challenges to our lives and many of us wish it would just go away, there have been some positive things that have come out of it as well. Our lives are forever changed by Covid-19, and some of those changes were positive.
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