This month, we approach the one-year anniversary of the coronavirus pandemic hitting the U.S. While it is a grim milestone, we are not without hope, as we’ve seen the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna, and the recently authorized vaccine from Johnson & Johnson. President Joe Biden expects the U.S. to deliver enough coronavirus vaccines for all adults by the end of May.
Still, many continue to adjust to our next normal and consider what the future of work will hold. Already, we’re beginning to see trends come into play, both in the workplace and in everyday life. Here are a few notable ways we’ve seen how the past year has influenced the workplace in 2021 – digital and otherwise.
Greater Emphasis on Health and Safety
Beginning an email with “I hope you are doing well” has greater meaning these days, as health and safety remain top of mind. Amid all the chaos and catastrophe of Covid, we genuinely want to make sure folks are hanging in there, staying healthy, and maintaining some semblance of normalcy as best they can. It’s good for them, and it’s good for us, too.
In the workplace, there is increased focus on taking the necessary precautions to maintain physical health and optimum mental health. You may have noticed colleagues checking in more to make sure things are going all right. Masking up remains a norm, as is having sanitizing stations in offices and buildings. Both will likely continue well into the future – even after we achieve mass vaccinations.
For companies, it is important to continue communicating how your business is prioritizing the health and safety of staff, and where applicable, consumers. A best practice is to provide specific, actionable steps that are being taken to ensure health and safety standards are being met, be it during the pandemic or beyond.
The Response to Remote Work
In general, many workers have responded favorably to working remotely, but the pivot has not come without challenges. A survey from Talent LMS of 1000 respondents from across the U.S. found that 88% of survey respondents had transitioned to remote work as a result of the pandemic.
The survey found that many folks are most productive in the morning to mid-day hours. Forty percent of respondents said they hit their productivity peak between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., while 31% said they are most productive between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. Twenty-two percent responded being most productive between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., and 8% were most productive from 7 p.m. or later.
Finding motivation can be a challenge for both new and seasoned remote workers. Respondents cited their top motivation boosters as listening to music (66%), chatting with a colleague (49%) and exercising (46%). In addition, the survey found that many good and bad habits have increased since the start of the pandemic. Respondents said they do more of the following:
- Watch TV (51%)
- Eat (50%)
- Exercise (42%)
- Talk on the phone (30%)
- Meditate (20%)
- Drink alcohol (18%)
- Smoke (16%)
The survey also found that offering training opportunities to a remote workforce can make a difference in their performance, happiness and company loyalty. This could include hard and soft skills training, COVID-19 training, and compliance training.
Sixty-one percent of respondents said they need additional training to help them perform better in their role. Remote workers who had received training consistently showed higher rates for productivity, time management, work-life balance, and communication with their colleagues than their counterparts who had received no training. They also showed higher rates of happiness while working from home and feeling valued by their company.
A Virtual World of Social Connections
The pandemic has forced countless people to turn to online solutions for human connections and socializing. Virtually everything that many folks do now is online, including their work, shopping, exercising, entertainment and more.
As people have become more isolated, the appetite for human connections has grown stronger. Successful companies are finding ways to create personalized experiences and increase person-to-person interaction via virtual means. This can be through virtual meetings, lunches, one-on-ones and special digital events.
At Communique PR, we celebrated our 17th anniversary with a virtual cooking class with Culinary Artistas, a small women-owned business based in San Francisco. Our CPR team made homemade fresh pasta with roasted vegetables. It provided a fun opportunity to virtually gather, make a delicious meal, and wine and dine together.
As we contemplate what comes next, one thing is certain: how we go about our professional and daily lives will forever change. Hopefully, our collective response to the pandemic will enable us to demonstrate greater agility and resilience moving forward. By learning how to adapt, we find a way to incorporate old norms into our current lives, and usher in normalcy sooner without having to wait for clearance.