In 2021, we assumed we’d return to something a little more consistent, with more concrete answers than we had in 2020. We envisioned ourselves back in offices at least a few days a week, returning to meetings (albeit with more hand sanitiser). But, for much of the workforce, things haven’t played out that way; if anything, 2021 showed us that what’s “normal” in the world of work is a constantly moving target.
The flexible-work genie is out of the bottle
In 2020, changes to work set-ups felt reactive to the pandemic, and it was hard for employees to know which shifts would stick
- A year on, it doesn’t matter what was supposed to be temporary. Workers are now living in a world with different workweek structures, asynchronous communication, and permanent remote work
- Now that they’ve sampled more flexibility, it’s unlikely employers can revoke the changes the Pandemic has put in motion
- An overwhelming number of companies have already committed to new work practices to accommodate worker desires – a signal that stuffing the genie back into the bottle is increasingly unlikely
Flying blind for the foreseeable future
As new Covid-19 variants emerge, making solid plans for the future is impossible – if not almost laughable.
- We’re still in the throes of implementing brand-new policies, like remote- and hybrid work, that are essentially experiments whose effects and ultimate outcome are still unknown.
The heavy weight of increased poor work-life balance
Without commutes to take or office doors to walk out of, many workers are finding it harder to draw hard lines between personal and professional lives.
- Unsurprisingly, burnout and unpaid overtime are rampant, especially among certain groups such as middle-managers and women.
Challenges
Many employees are still left in limbo without having a sense of how a hybrid set-up will work for them
- Without hybrid in action, employers lack data they need to understand what’s successful and unsuccessful about their approaches
- Neither workers nor businesses have the real-life experience we need yet
- For now, work is still a moving target
