The year 2020 saw many changes in terms of how businesses operated. A fierce pandemic saw the world going into lockdown, forcing many businesses to close their doors and change their ways of working. While smaller businesses could not survive the onslaught and were forced to close down permanently, bigger businesses were able to shift all their operations online.
2020 saw the biggest change in terms of how we work, with many people working from home, or telecommuting. With the need for home offices, furniture stores were able to cash in on the deal. Customers were able to turn to online stores and read reviews such as online office furniture sites in the UK on websites such as luminablog.co.uk.
Telecommuting became the most popular way of working for employees. With online tools such as VOIP calling, instant messaging, and video conferencing, they could resume their normal working activities from their homes. With the many benefits of telecommuting, employees were able to avoid their regular lengthy commute to work, and were able to focus on their tasks without too many distractions.
A few other ways in which Covid-19 changed the we work are as follows:
- An increased focus on communication in the workplace. Finding new ways of doing business while social distancing has given rise to many new online technological advancements such as VOIP calling, which is using your laptop or computer to make telephone calls.
- A need to improve morale. With all the stresses that come with a pandemic, employees were forced to take stock of what is most important to them. Companies fought harder to increase morale in the workplace while employees battled with mental health issues due to stress and isolation. With companies closing their doors, there was a big focus on job security and employees worked harder to ensure they could keep their position in the company.
- A larger focus on maintaining the best work-life balance possible while working from home. With employees working from home, as well as the country being in lockdown, taking time out of work to have a break was difficult as employees were not allowed to leave their homes unless it was to get essential supplies such as food items or healthcare products. While focusing on work with the many distractions of being at home, such as children, spouses and, let’s be honest, the occasional nap, it was hard to carve out time away from work.
Going forward, there are many things we can continue doing. Giving employees the flexibility to work from home will reduce the pressure on them to go into the office and rather keep safe in their homes. This trust builds self-sufficiency and is a great morale booster. Celebrating company targets or milestones can still be done with video conferencing, with the whole team together. Increased open communication channels such as VOIP calling and video conferencing are great ways of touching base with colleagues and allows for the sharing of ideas and insights or asking for assistance easier.