With over one-third of U.S. adults receiving the Covid-19 vaccines, there has been a slight sense of relief over the nation. However, it has become increasingly evident that things will never return to pre-pandemic normalcy, especially in terms of the workplace.
Over 60% of workers have expressed wanting a hybrid work model, a combination of both in-office and remote working arrangements, meaning companies will need to adjust their policies and real estate to accommodate this new way of working.
However, leaders will undoubtedly face challenges when trying to resolve all of these changes.
For instance, organizations need to address how job loss disproportionately impacted women in the past year. Those who lost their jobs were not paid well to begin with, and this absence is a glaring issue that needs to be remedied.
“Even if we assume some of these silver linings—of increased telework flexibility, and men doing more childcare—our model predicts that it could take 10 to 20 years for the gender wage gap to return to pre-pandemic levels,” said Jane Olmstead-Rumsey of Northwestern University. “That’s a really significant setback for women…and all of these things that we’re talking about are particularly severe for women of color.”
Additionally, both the physical and mental health of employees has become a central focus over the past year. Now, companies have a role to play in nurturing their employees’ overall health and listen to what their employees want from their healthcare benefits.
