With lots of dates being thrown around for the end of lockdown life this summer… it’s no wonder people are getting excited and making plans for the unlocking of life. It’s been a long year and people are welcoming the idea of easing restrictions and regaining a new sense of normal since the start of the coronavirus.
For many businesses, the numerous lockdowns have proven that most roles and jobs can adapt to remote working, with some businesses having the opportunity to test whether flexible working can be a success, and testing the cost-effectiveness of having employees working from home.
Some businesses are looking at implementing flexible working full time, despite the idea of lockdown ending and normal life returning. Flexible work has proven to help productivity, team morale and decrease business costs.
Ways in which businesses may lock down slowly will vary. For example, some businesses may open the doors to their office spaces on certain days a week, with employees working partly from home and partly from the office. Whilst in the office, some businesses have made sure that meetings are kept to a minimum, that they are done in well-ventilated rooms with good airflow and that the office has all the equipment needed to keep sanitised and social distanced.
Other businesses are looking at putting together better meeting rooms with virtual options so that communicating with employees who are not in the office are just as connected and present as those that have decided to be in the office as normal.
Another option businesses have looked at including flexible working options such as the ones that we at The Workstation offer. No strings attached contracts meaning that it is easy to upscale when required, and respond to the current economy.
The lack of clarity around the lifting of lockdown and restrictions has been a stumbling block for most businesses, so, understandably, many will be unlocking at their own pace and putting things in place to protect their business and employees.
Virtual services, hot-desking and flexible working business suites like the ones we have could well be the future to unlocking businesses and making them thrive in the new normal.