My opinion: ReWork

It is clear that COVID-19 has caused an unprecedented crisis in this postmodern society, impacting health systems worldwide as well as the global economy. Everyone has been affected somehow.

There are several subjects related to COVID-19 we can reflect upon. I'd like to utilize this `space` to explore some thoughts that I have related to ways of working post COVID-19.

Working remotely has become part of our routine for those of us whose job roles allow it. There is a good article that explores this in detail. You can find it here.

I'm included in this cluster. I must confess that working from home, was NOT a totally new experience for me. I spent a 6 month period working remotely from home in 2019. My wife Jess had go to through health treatment and the daily trips to the hospital meant I needed to have a flexible routine to be able to take her to the hospital, look after her during her recovery and of course, also work.

We have no kids, pets or relatives living with us who need looking after. Which makes things slightly easier. Therefore when COVID-19 struck, forcing most of us to work remotely it was not too hard for me to re-adapt. However, being honest I'd rather work from my office. I think I'm more efficient, I better `connect` with people and get the job done faster. But hey, this is my opinion. I'm sure there are some people out there who feel differently.

41 days in lockdown here in Britain and we're starting to wonder what our lives will be like in a world post COVID-19. Even though uncertainty remains, it is becoming more evident that working remotely is likely to become part of the `new` normal. Jes Stanley, chief executive of Barclays made a statement saying the bank is considering a more `de-centralizing approach to staff working`. An approach that seems to be backed by the idea of utilizing local branches as satellite offices for their staff. You can read the whole article here.

It does make sense in a world post COVID-19 not having to put thousands of people in a single building in the capital, surely decreasing the chances of contamination and chaos if another outbreak happens. For businesses like Barclays it means they can shift the cost of maintaining such an expensive building and infra, instead investing in infrastructure that will better enable their staff to work remotely and empower them to be more effective.

I spoke with a few people about this trend of continuing to work remotely after COVID-19. Some highlighted how that would be challenging for them since they might not have the `space` available in their homes or the "right conditions", in which to work.

I can only imagine the challenge of working from home with small children and pets running around. When some people were telling me about their routine, I was thinking - wow kids can be quite demanding, stressful and disruptive! For people in this situation, it seems being able to go to an office space is a necessity.

Not all businesses are like Barclays though being able to leverage local branches turning them into satellite offices for their staff, however that's where companies like WeWork can make a difference and flourish!

You might know WeWork (startup) and the challenges they and SoftBank (investor) are experiencing after a few poor decisions. Read this if you want to know the `nitty gritty`. In a nutshell, WeWork provides office spaces to rent. You can co-share the space with other people or businesses, decreasing your monthly costs of having your own office space. I took a quick look at their website to see whether a single person can `hop` along and rent per hour, day or month. I could only find monthly rates. Not a good start!

I would expect businesses like WeWork to reposition themselves, becoming more flexible moving forward in order to attract more people like my friends and colleagues, allowing them to rent out a desk for a few days or hours a week.

Companies like WeWork, similar to banks could have more smaller offices not necessarily located in premium areas of the city. They could perhaps focus on small `hubs`, decreasing their running costs and in turn be more accessible and affordable for people living in those areas that meet the demography.

WeWork 'small hubs' could provide a solution for businesses which want to encourage more flexible working moving forward but don't have the resources (like Barclays) to convert existing branches into satellite offices.

These are just a few thoughts that I had after dong some quick research and after chatting with friends and family. I'm sure companies like WeWork have the resources and means to design a new strategy to lead the company through `uncharted waters` and back to profitability. The point I'm trying to make here is that, opportunities to reposition your business can arise from difficult times. Thanks for reading.