Will Remote Working Stick After The Coronavirus Era?

Millions of people across the country are being forced to do their jobs for the first time ever, and after the coronavirus outbreak has ended, this way of working could be here to stay.

According to a survey of 1,500 workers by employee benefits provider Unum, respondents are increasingly seeking out positions that offer remote working options.

“I think a takeaway from this pandemic will be more people recognizing the value in remote work,” said Liz Ahmed, the executive vice president of people and communications at Unum. “It helps with business resiliency in unforeseen circumstances and also gives people more choice in when, where and how they work — and a lot of people value that.”

Only 7% of workers in the U.S. had access to flexible work options prior to the pandemic, and they were mostly highly paid managers and white-collar professionals.

Although many jobs rely on face-to-face interactions, some workers have found a way to continue working remotely. For instance, Sonia Minetti-Sengos, a stylist and personal shopper at Neiman Marcus, continues to work by posting daily clothing suggestions on Instagram and reaching out to clients over email or by phone for closet consultations.

Although it is unclear how well remote working will stick after the dust has settled, it is evident that the demand is there and workforce culture will be changed indefinitely.