They think it's all over... but it isn't now

Many people thought we'd be through Covid by the end of 2021, but predictions about 'the end of the pandemic' are looking increasingly bleak. We have a new way of living and working – and if you haven't adapted to it yet, you're leaving it pretty late.

According to analysts at Goldman Sachs last month, only one third?of US office workers in major cities have returned to the office. If this isn't clear proof that things haven't returned to pre-pandemic normal, I don't know what is.?

Elsewhere in the news, Covid infection rates are rising in the US, France and Italy – among other places – while Sydney is in lockdown. New strains of the virus, a slow uptake of vaccinations among certain sectors and other factors all paint a picture?of a world in continued?turmoil.

For business?owners, this is a serious problem. While a great many firms have said they will offer flexible working to accommodate not just the vagaries of the virus, but their employees' newfound appreciation of a 'hybrid' way of working, some just haven't got round to it. In some cases, they've been so busy simply trying to stay afloat that they haven't had time to work out what to do.

Research from Total Jobs found that 46% of UK workers experienced loneliness when working from home.

Adding to the problem is the fact that employers now know that some of their workers just don't fare well when working from home. Research from Total Jobs found that 46% of UK workers experienced loneliness when working from home.

Your teams need decisive action

The?head-in-the-sand approach taken by some businesses just won't work. Hoping to get lucky and limp through what's happening makes little sense. If you were a school football coach and your minibus kept breaking down, you'd look for a permanent solution. Sure, you might take the train for a few weeks while you worked out what to do, but sooner or later you'd devise a robust new system so that your team could do what they were there to do: play matches.

Similarly, in business, you can't just keep asking staff to work at home, then bring them in again when the coast seems clear, only to send them all back home again a month later. It's likely to wreak havoc with productivity, mental wellbeing, your real estate costs and a whole lot more.

In short, you need a long-term answer.

Hybrid working is the go-to solution for many, and it makes sense because it will allow a business to ebb and flow with the tide. Fully-remote may also work for some businesses – it certainly gets rid of the uncertainty created by possible future lockdowns.

The mechanics of a hybrid workforce

Hundreds of articles have now been written about how to try and make hybrid teams work: most of them emphasise the importance of communication between the team and management and a clear understanding of everyone's needs.

But what many fail to address is the precise mechanics of it all. Specifically, how to keep the in-office teams connected to the WFH cohort.

What's your own plan for that?

At Yonderdesk, we provide a solution to this conundrum by creating virtual workplaces that unite all employees in the same interactive digital space, no matter where they are based. They look like this:

A Yonderdesk workplace allows home-based workers to go to work... without actually 'going' to work. And for those workers based in the office, it helps them to stay connected to colleagues who could otherwise quickly become invisible.

Staff wellbeing is as great a priority today as it ever was.

It is especially beneficial to remote workers, though, as it gives them a sense of 'presence' that they sorely lacked during last year's lockdowns. For managers and HR, this is important, as staff wellbeing is as great a priority today as it ever was.

Yonderdesk also offers management the chance to see where the people who make up their dispersed workforce currently are, and keep them all on-brand – those who work from home can be kept up-to-date with company news, values, camaraderie and more. These are priceless aspects of the employer/employee experience.

Virtual real estate like Yonderdesk can help a business?meet its CSR goals, too. For every employee able to work at home that day, a saving of maybe 10 or 20 commuter miles could be made. We worked out that if just one per cent of the world's office workers felt comfortable and supported enough to be able to happily work remotely, billions of commuter miles would be saved every year.

No impending return to 'normal'

Back when the pandemic started, many people were saying that everything would likely return to normal once a vaccine had been developed – though there were others who were saying the virus and its repercussions would be with us for years, possibly even decades. We're no nearer to predicting the future, but as of right now very few people think that everything will be back to how it was any time soon.

Earlier this summer, in fact, The Economist ran with a headline that read "Covid-19: why your life will never be the same."

It's time to?get your employees' needs sorted now. Knowing that they are happy and supported – and that you have a clear (most likely flexible) system in place that will help you to weather the Covid storm – is one of the best ways to start rebuilding?the foundations of your business.

The only thing to be gained by the 'wait and see' approach is more uncertainty.

If you'd like to see how a Yonderdesk virtual office would work for you and your team, get in touch [email protected]?and we can set up a demo.