What will the new normal look like is a question many have asked but few have an answer to.
Remote work is likely to be part of the new normal; however, the number of workers working remotely is likely to decrease once restrictions are lifted. While companies have experienced first-hand the benefits of remote work, most companies will adopt a hybrid approach to work, where employees work remotely some days of the week and from the office the others.
Hybrid work models will not only help maintain a healthy work-life balance for workers, but they also have the potential of increasing gender equality. By allowing employees to work remotely part-time, mothers will be less likely to interrupt their careers to take care of the family.
And while the benefits of remote work abound, there are some disadvantages, like increased monitoring from employers. While this is commonplace at the moment, the longer employees work remotely, the more leaders will trust that their teams are doing what they’re supposed to be doing, even while working from home.
There’s also the matter of work creep, which could make it harder for employees to separate their work time from their personal time.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to changes in the workplace, some of which will be long-lived. However, many of the issues that affected employees before the pandemic are likely to remain in a post-pandemic world.
