Flexible Work Post COVID - The Pros and Cons

As more people get vaccinated and the world reopens, many businesses are trying to learn and adapt from all of the changes they had to make during 2020. With many businesses remaining 100% remote or adapting a more hybrid approach than they had at the beginning of last year, the future of work post-pandemic is unique. 

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted work in a way that no one saw coming. Millions of people lost their jobs either temporarily or permanently as companies had to close; shut down for a certain amount of time, or reduce their workforce. Other employees were forced to create Work-From-Home setups without much notice – figuring out how to work full-time while the rest of the family were also stuck at home – pets included! While many had to continue going into work, performing on the frontlines, constantly exposing themselves to the threat of the virus. 

Just like everything else, there are pros and cons to these changes. Here we explore some of these.

Pro: Employees have more options to take care of themselves
More employers are now setting up support to better protect themselves and their employees, especially as the health crisis continues to impact us all. This support strives to help and improve all areas of an employee's health – mental, physical, and financial. Examples of enhanced support offered by some employers include:

• Child care help
• Community relief funds
• Financial aid
• Flexible hours of operation
• Improved sick leave
• No-cost community services

A big part of this involves creating schedules and systems that allow employees to be flexible so they can care for themselves and their families while still taking care of their job responsibilities and being productive.

Con: (Probably) can't hire employees from just anywhere
If you are still planning on having face-face-face meetings and other types of work gatherings, you can't have employees around the world, the country, or even the state. 

However, if you are set on hiring remote workers, which is a great way to dip into a larger pool of talent, you can consider letting them virtually attend meetings. You can also set up satellite groups if there are a number of remote workers in the same area.

Pro: Contractor work is more popular than ever
All types of workers lost their jobs during the pandemic, and contractors were no different. Some of those who lost traditional jobs opted to become contractors and freelancers who offer their skills.

While a number of organisations reduced their contractor budget mid-pandemic, those budgets have started to open up again – and for some companies, they've even grown. Companies love working with contractors because they offer an ideal combination of professionalism and flexibility. They tend to be experts in their field, and companies can hire them without offering them business tools, office space, a salary, etc. This means that they have even more opportunities than they did before the pandemic.

Con: A majority of jobs cannot be performed remotely
According to research, only 20% – 25% of workforces in advanced economies are able to work from home without a loss of productivity. While this is around 5 times more remote work than pre-pandemic and about the same as remote work during the pandemic, it's possibly much less than people assume. For job seekers who feel that any and every industry, company, and brand is now adapting full-time remote work, they'll be sorely disappointed as they begin hunting for their next position.

Furthermore, some types of jobs that can technically be handled remotely are still more effective when done in person. Some examples include brainstorming with the rest of the team, making critical decisions for the company, and providing difficult-to-deliver feedback in a sensitive way which is usually best done in person.

Pro: Flexible work is more enjoyable for employees
It's pretty obvious why flexible work is more enjoyable for most employees – they can do things at their own pace! They can do things like set their own schedule, attend to personal and family matters, and run errands when they want (assuming that type of flexibility is okay with the employer). When employees are given deliverables to work for instead of strict schedules to adhere to, many of them will be able to turn in excellent work without risking burnout or getting complacent at their job.

The idea of having employees work simply to work, regardless of their actual workload or level of efficiency, is an antiquated idea for some companies. When employees can run their life while remaining dedicated to their job, they're happier overall, which means they will have higher quality work.

Con: The boundaries can get fuzzy
Of course, there's an equal and opposite issue to the pro described above. All of this flexibility can leave the lines between professionalism and flexibility blurry. If you require employees to clock in and clock out and be present during specific work hours, you'll have to find a way to ensure they're doing just that – otherwise, some may take advantage of their freedom. Also, setting deliverables instead of work hours means that employees actually have to deliver quality work on time by checking in as the project progresses to report the work they've done. This can require a lot of work to create, set up, and explain the flexible rules.

In your own opinion, what is the future of employment post-covid?