Working from home has long been a well-speculated dynamic. As recently as a few months ago, there seemed to be as many differing opinions on the matter as there were managers to discuss them. The work-from-home discussions remain ongoing today, but the pandemic has given us vastly different reasons. What was previously considered a perk of working in technology or intellectual spaces or an offering intended attract and retain millennial talent, this once-debated concept seemed to highlight generational differences in how we prefer to work, how team dynamics are affected across geographical locations, and how different types of talent may perform better if given flexibility in where they are able to carry out their work day. Many companies transitioned to a work-from-home model during the pandemic lockdowns, while others are now offering some sort of hybrid approach to time spent in office. Some industries such as manufacturing, retail, healthcare and the like are not nearly as flexible. There is simply no way that the modern world can transition to a completely virtual experience.
It seems an undisputed fact that 100% work-from-home does not make sense for every industry (which may come as a relief to some sci-fi fans). When considering how to prepare for a return to the workplace, re-opening safely will inevitably mean different things to different industries. The world needs to enable human bodies to safely present themselves in the workplace and carry out their special functions while doing the very best we can do to ensure that we are not compromising our most vulnerable. Business leaders and individuals are challenged to be accountable to their family structures, their organizations, and the people they come in contact with who they don’t even know. The present state may be an unprecedented demand of the collective conscience of executive leadership, on some level we are all entrusting our lives and our loved ones to one another. We all have a responsibility to those we love and those we don’t even know, just as we hope that those we don’t know are also conscientious of humanity’s responsibility to ourselves.
No matter where a person stands on the political elements of the present pandemic and despite the ever-changing guidance offered by varying governmental agencies around the globe, one thing everyone seems to agree upon is that we have to take an intentional approach to managing risk in the workplace. We all see the headlines highlighting specific companies who experience outbreaks at their facilities. We’ve previously discussed the myriad potential liabilities from a financial aspect, quite a lot of the long term impact remains to be seen. Another potential negative impact of improper pandemic management that is looming, is the attrition businesses may face as companies gain reputations for either being safe or unsafe places to work.
Many businesses were blindsided by this pandemic. Many businesses have had to close their doors indefinitely. Many of them won’t be back. As future waves of this pandemic sweep the world and new pandemics are discussed as a ‘when’ and not an ‘if’, executives are racing to glean the lessons from the Q2 2020 lockdowns and better position their companies to withstand whatever may come. Ministers in the UK have suggested that firms which provide periodic testing in their offices and factories may be exempt from future lockdowns, if routine testing shows their workplaces to remain virus-free. Perhaps your business is not ready to invest in routine testing, but there are other precautionary measures your company can implement to reduce the risk of being featured in the news as the center of an outbreak.
As part of preparing for a return to the workplace, developing a pandemic response plan, team, and solution may become a critical part of your organizations’ business continuity plan. As new guidance and potential regulatory changes develop, flexibility is crucial to adapt to changing requirements as the world continues to learn. Synnergie is well equipped to analyze your organization’s current practices and not only develop a pandemic response solution which works for you, but also ensure a seamless technological implementation and integration with your current environment.
