Here's How The COVID-19 Pandemic Has Redefined Workspaces

With the future of work constantly evolving, so are the future workplaces. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has changed how and where we work, forcing different and flexible ways of working.

The wholesale move to remote working in response to the crisis has quickly changed habits and opened new opportunities for the work environment. While this past year or so has shown that working from home can be done, and that it has some advantages, it has also highlighted the how important office is as it enables human connection and interaction.

With persistent work from home changing the dynamics of how workplaces function, a lot still has to evolve to support the news changes.

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The world will never be the same again, and for the most of us, we can¡¯t really think beyond the present, but as the famous Persian proverb says ¡®this too shall pass¡¯.

Or will it?

Whatever the answer, we can only start to assume on what the future may look like by endeavoring to understand the past, and how the present circumstances will impact our habits and behaviors as a species.

While those already in jobs before the pandemic have had to shift to remote working, others who started their professional careers during the pandemic are yet to taste the office life.

The way people do work has also been affected in terms of where they work, how they interact with colleagues, and how they deliver results expected from them.

Lets look at the ways how COVID-19 has redefined workspaces.

1. Newbies won't be seeing the workplace for sometime

If you are a recent graduate and have started your career during the pandemic, then it might be a while before you get to experience the true office life.

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The pandemic has driven companies worldwide to shut their offices, resulting in employees having to work from remote locations. Those only beginning their careers have struggled to get a feel of working in offices and are really struggling to be productive while working from home.

There is always excitement to set foot in the office for the very first time in your career and it is indeed a significant moment, but newbies might have to wait a bit longer to experience that momentous occasion.

2. Increased flexibility

The COVID-19 pandemic has made many organizations take a second look at what employees need to accomplish on a day to day basis.

When the pandemic subsides, work from home (WFH) will remain popular with professionals, and that will force companies - even those that were not the biggest supporters of having a virtual workforce - to become more flexible.

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While there may not be a 100% transition to a work from home arrangement, more employees will want to have the freedom to rethink why employees need to be in the office.

Now that more people have had a taste of WFH and proven their productivity, it will be hard for companies to take it away from their talent.

Although many may prefer working from home more often, there are still those who may prefer in-person interactions in the office. What is important is that organizations are ready to be more flexible.

3. Work attire is retiring. For now, at least

Suits and tailored shirts are out, sweatpants and pajamas are in: remote working has drastically changed how we dress up for the day. Even if you got dressed up every day while WFH, it¡¯s unlikely that you put on a suit or heels.

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The trend toward casual attire has accelerated rather quickly in last one year. If seeing your colleagues in jumpers and clutching a mug of tea during Zoom meetings was not proof enough, you only had to look to social media to see how people are embracing the trend.

It has been proven that major historical events, including pandemics, recessions, and wars change the way we dress. And clearly COVID-19 will also have a substantial effect, perhaps forever, on the way we dress.

4. A less formal work environment

As strange as it mat sound, being more physically distant to one another has brought us closer together in some ways. We peer into the lives of our colleagues every time we see their home through video calls, and we¡¯re acting much closer because of it.

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In other words, humans are finally acting more human with one another in the corporate world. There are less rules about what we wear to work; pyjamas have replaced real suits. On a lighter note, people are swearing more in less casual meetings, and just generally showing a higher level of comfort as well as more of their true selves.

The world has changed and it changed the workplace with it. COVID forced us to realize that there were business solutions in front of us the whole time that we were not leveraging. Now that we¡¯ve realized how successful they¡¯ve been, there¡¯s no good reason to return to some of the things we were doing before the pandemic.

5. Redefining the physical workplace

When things go even remotely close to being normal (new normal) and people return to offices, there are expected to be changes in our physical workplace. Above all else, employee safety and wellbeing will be a top priority. Sanitation protocols, temperature checks, and social distancing measures are likely to be a new norm.

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There will also be a shift towards a more collaborative workplace as people seek social interaction and community engagement. Whereas before the pandemic, some employees go to the office and prefer to work in isolation. Employees will now use their physical workplace to meet colleagues, brainstorm, and have social gatherings. Through these interactions, employees will create a work environment that fosters collaboration, creativity, and innovation.

The pandemic has created numerous changes around the world. One of the most notable changes is in the way we work. As companies and their employees adjust to new ways of doing work, organizations must remain flexible and build a hybrid workplace that fits everyone¡¯s ¡°new normal.¡±