Will Covid-19 pandemic change our workplace forever?

Covid-19 has compelled many managers and office staff in businesses to work from their homes. Since Covid-19 may stay with us till middle or end of 2021, we need to understand the impact that remote working will have on the way we work.

The trend to work from home will continue till 2021, but perhaps even beyond. Many companies will review whether they need so many employees to come to work in offices daily. There will be a serious assessment of jobs on the basis of what can be done from home. This will impact the sizes of the offices that companies will build or rent in the future. It can also impact salaries. Employees who work from homes, need not be stationed in large metro towns where rentals are high and have to be reimbursed. If employees are to work from home, they could be based in smaller towns where rentals and costs of living are lower.

Yet, there are definite limitations to the Zoom calls or Google teams and the work from home philosophy.

Hopefully, post the pandemic by end 2021, we can return to working in offices as we did before, surrounded by our colleagues and exchange thoughts and ideas across tables. 

- Rajendra Aneja, India