The pandemic has been going on for over a year. But at least in the United States, the growing prevalence of vaccines has been a game changer. In addition to the vaccine drive, the federal government has focused on stimulus and putting money in the hands of citizens. This has created a new wave of consumers and significant demand for goods and services throughout the country. But even as many states ease their pandemic restrictions, employers are finding that many employees want to keep working remotely. The future of work is here, and that means employers are going to have to step up to meet the changing needs of their employees.
Remote Work Grew Exponentially During The Pandemic
During the pandemic, remote work grew exponentially. It became the norm for many office workers. And that made many more employees get exposure to a form of work they hadn’t been a part of before. And even though the pandemic was extremely disruptive to all of our lives, it helped many employees find out that they actually liked remote work. They enjoyed working from home. They liked having more time with their families and eliminating a hectic and stressful commute. Which brings us to our next point.
Analysts Expect These Trends To Continue
This is a relatively new trend, but it is one that analysts expect to continue. Employees have increasing power in labor talks in an economy where demand is extremely high. And many employees are going to continue to prefer working from home. That means that organizations need to be prepared to meet the needs of their employees and the new work from home movement.
Is Your Organization Ready To Compete In The New Normal?
It is critical to understand that you aren’t going to face pressure just from new employees, you are also going to face pressure from other companies. Other companies are going to offer work from home plans that are going to be especially attractive to employees with families. Make sure that your organization is ready to compete.
Is your business ready to accommodate its employees? Are you prepared to continue work from home programs into the future? Even if you weren’t, you need to be aware that your competitors will. That means that you’ll be competing with other businesses that are offering work from home programs. Some analysts have estimated that as many as 15-20% of former office workers will at least be working from home several days a week going into the future. Make sure that your organization is ready for the new reality.
