The Covid-19 pandemic was a turning point in human behavior and has changed the way that people study, work, interact, eat and many other aspects of their lives. To focus on how that crisis affected specifically jobs, it is important to say that a transition from in-office to home-office functions had already been in progress. However, this process, which would have taken at least ten years, was reduced to a few months, and workers and bosses had to adapt very fast to this new reality.
On one hand, there are aspects related to quality of life. An employee working from home saves time by not commuting, for example, which means more free time to do other things, such as spend time with their families or engage in physical and cultural activities. This can lead to increased productivity since, generally, a satisfied worker is more motivated. In addition, the absence of the usual distractions of offices can be another factor contributing to having more focused employees.
On the other hand, lack of interaction among workers can be a problem, resulting in less debates, less exchange of ideas, and consequently less creativity. Humans have this need to be in contact with others, and online meetings or WhatsApp conversations cannot always replace real-world interactions. Another point is the capacity of control of the bosses, as they need to pursue results and, most importantly, guarantee that all workers are on the same page. Without a physical presence, it is hard for them to know if the employees are really seated at the computer and working or merely solving personal problems.
A recent debate in social media illustrates how “generation Z” (people who were born between 1995 and 2010) is changing job interaction. A young man uploaded a video on a Tik-Tok account saying that he would agree to work from 9am to 2pm, but not more than that, as he has his personal things to do. The video had millions of views and shares, mostly young people agreeing with him. This generational clash puts an extra layer in an already complex discussion.
It is important to say that a return to the old work model is highly improbable, as it is difficult to guarantee a full-time remote work. A solution can be a balance between both: weekly working hours should be distributed partly at home and part at the office, uniting the benefits of the two worlds. An employee can spend three days working from home and two at the office, for example. The discussion about how many hours to work a day could be solved with a focus on the company results, more than with how many hours spent in front of a computer.
The fact is that the Covid-19 pandemic just accelerated a process already in progress. As the industrial revolution in the XIX century has profoundly changed the world, new technologies, and new generations, are doing the same thing now. Companies will have to adapt to this new era and try to find ways to make a good balance among the personal and the professional lives of their employees. It could sound contradictory at first, however, perhaps a more “human” instead of a “profit” approach might lead to workers more satisfied, greater commitment and, at the end, to more money to the companies.