Before March 2020, we knew the “typical” workplace experience to be the 9-5 job. With the pandemic changing the way we work, there are no two workplaces with the same employee workplace experience. Each workplace is different with no two having the same in-person or remote situation.
If you have been hoping for society to return to the typical 9-5 in-office workplace in 2022, unfortunately you are going to have to wait a little longer. The typical employee workplace experience will not return this year and may even be gone for good.
Because employees are just as productive (or even more productive) at home compared to being in-office (link to productivity article), many companies have completely shifted to fully remote workplaces. Some companies have gone as far as selling off their physical offices or cancelling leases, committing to being completely remote workplaces.
The simple fact is remote work has proven itself as a viable option for American workers. Because the covid-19 pandemic may create unsafe working conditions throughout the country and the rest of the world, remote and hybrid work remains the safest option for workers.
While most Americans had a certain idea of what a workplace should look like in relation to hours spent in the office, what it means to be “at work,” and how to work efficiently prior to March 2020, those days are gone. Embracing the change that has come from the past two years will bring more effective leadership, higher employee satisfaction, and better overall results.
Accepting that each workplace operates differently, and that the old, typical workplace model is now outdated is the way forward as companies continue to try to adapt to the changes brought on by the pandemic
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