Is the Pandemic Work Environment the New Norm?

The CDC announced new COVID guidelines yesterday, namely that those who have been vaccinated can now congregate with others who have been vaccinated, and without masks.

This is a huge and hopeful announcement that all of us have been waiting on for a year, almost exactly to the day when WHO declared a global pandemic, March 11, 2020. And while only ten percent of the US has been vaccinated thus far, the new Johnson and Johnson vaccine and Biden's pledge to have enough vaccine for every US citizen by May are creating an optimism that many of us needed.

I have predicted, not presciently and not alone, that the pent-up need to roam freely and without fear will lead to a 1920's-like boom for the economy, with people willing and wanting to get out of their home and indulge in the simple pleasures we took advantage of pre-COVID.

The signs are already there, with movie box office sales ticking up 145% and Carnival Cruise reservations for 2022 outpacing those of 2019 ... two places I would least expect people to rush to after a global pandemic.

Sure, movies are way off their norms ($20 million last weekend compared to $120 million this same time 2020), but with a mountain of new anticipated blockbuster movies being held back and the insatiable desire to watch a film someplace other than the dent in your couch, this summer promises to be a boom.

And while we may be launching in to a new Roaring 20's socially, many companies and employee expectations are not as elastic. In fact, there has been a lot of chat from companies, specifically those that employ knowledge workers, that working remotely, either part time or full time, could become the new normal. And as bigger companies scramble to adapt, it may leave smaller companies and new entrepreneurs wondering how they can attract talent.

In a great post by Not Boring by Packy McCormick, "We're Never Going Back," the authors discuss why knowledge workers won't go back, but also how companies can and must create environments that encourage in-person working.

.. instead of mandating a certain number of days in-office, companies should view employees as customers who they need to convince to come in with a great product.

Re-design the office to facilitate things that employees can’t do at home: whiteboard rooms, podcast and video recording studios, screening rooms, maker tools, etc… 

Take less space on more flexible terms in order to adapt and evolve as employees’ needs do.

Make the office feel more like a social club, with more focus on spaces for employees to share meals, have spontaneous conversations, and take in work-related programming. 

Hire hospitality and flexible operators to help them figure it out.

Infuse the space with technology to facilitate communication and collaboration with remote employees. 

Another important part of this "equation" is creating the technology infrastructure, whether providing your employees with devices or allowing WWYOD (work with your own device). This includes ensuring cyber security so that company infrastructure and data is not compromised by a very wide net of employees.

And while challenging and ambiguous, opportunities abound.Companies that can think creatively and progressively will attract talent and create spaces that allow for spontaneous creativity. Entrepreneurs can create and provide new services to these companies, potentially a lower cost (smaller office space, more services).

In general, the cloud is lifting and the light is visible, and while the future is still uncertain, it is certainly opportunistic.

What do you think? Will companies, work spaces and employee expectations return to the "old norm" or have we transitioned into a "new norm." Share your thoughts below.