This week, Twitter announced that many of their employees will be allowed to work from home not just for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic shutdown, but forever. Other companies are grappling with when to reopen their physical offices and, how many of their employees to allow to work remotely. Barclays and JPMorgan Chase & Co may not bring all employees back at the same time. Austin, Texas-based Dell Computers says that more than 50% of their more than 160,000 employees may never return to the office.
The decision by Twitter and other employers signals a growing shift in attitude in many industries about remote working — a move that could have permanent implications. While it remains uncertain exactly when all businesses will reopen, what is certain is that there will be notable changes to the office environment. Office settings will need more space for social distancing and more stringent and frequent sanitation. Companies will need to be more flexible, and allow more employees to work from home on a semi-regular basis.
The good news is that employees who have the option to work from home, are shown to be less stressed and more productive. A two-year Stanford study shows that remote employees work a true full-shift (or more) versus being late to the office or leaving early multiple times a week and found it less distracting and easier to concentrate at home. A bonus was a savings of almost $2,000 per employee on rent by reducing the amount of office space needed.
The less than good news – businesses that depend on office-workers will likely suffer, at least in the short run. Fewer people commuting will, no doubt, mean a change of habits affecting restaurants, retailers parking decks, and building owners after reopening. Those businesses that can adapt to the post-COVID world will have a much better chance at success. According to RetailDive, consumers are now seeing how important it is to support their local business community. Going forward, consumers may continue to trade locally and support their local food service and restaurant business more.
The COVID19 pandemic is a wake-up call for American businesses. It’s time to adapt, innovate, and re-create to survive and prosper. This is not the first time The United States has had to adapt because of natural disasters, war, or economic troubles. Learning and adapting after traumatic and devastating events is how we cope and move forward as a country. We are a strong and resilient nation and we will endure.
Carolina Digital Phone is a locally-owned business that understands the importance of providing personalized customer service. Based in Greensboro, North Carolina, we serve customers in North and South Carolina, and Virginia. We are here to help your business successfully support remote workers with dependable, and flexible communications tools. Our company provides reliable and cost-effective Voice over Internet Protocol Phone service (VoIP) customized to fit your company’s needs. Because it is flexible, you can expand and change features as needed. Find out more about getting your business ready for the future of work by calling us today at (336) 850-5400.