After COVID-19 how life will be? COVID-19 changed our lives completely, now most of us work from home, we can’t have a barbeque with family and friends, we can’t have a day at the beach or at the park and we must keep a distance from each other. It is very challenging and a lot of people are struggling to adapt to this new reality. But how will it be after COVID-19 is gone? Will we go back to our normal lives or things will be totally different?
A revolution
For decades, we were all set to work somewhere outside our home. For some jobs that is the only way it works; you can’t imagine a plumber working from home, or a bus driver. But for office workers it is possible, we are seeing that reality now. So, what will happen to them after COVID-19 is gone?
A few days ago, I was talking to someone and he believes there will be a “revolution” in the way we do business and the way we work. I thought of it before but now someone had the same opinion. He certainly has a point. After all, it is proven it works and it’s possible, so why not. Companies will see that it is possible to have staff working from home and they may change the way they operate.
The positives
If there’s anything positive to take from this horrible pandemic, is the fact that, with most people working from home, we reduced our emissions and there’s less pollution in the air. People can’t travel unless they are going to work and they really have to do it. That means fewer cars, fewer people, less pollution.
On the economic side, if workers have the possibility of working from home, companies won’t have to hire offices and pay expensive rents. So, this is actually a cutting cost exercise. For workers, would mean no commute, therefore no transport costs.
Even though lots of people talk about working from home as having a very negative effect in their mental health, the truth is, for some, it may actually be the best thing it could ever happen. Unfortunately, bullying in the workplace is a reality and, for some, going to work is an absolute nightmare. So, if those employees had the chance of working from home, they would be able to keep their jobs, be even more productive and that would have a great effect on their mental health.
The negatives
The fact that people are no longer working in the same place could have a negative impact, as social interaction would be somehow lost. Even though workers could still be in contact through videoconferences and other platforms, the physical interaction would be lost and that would be a negative.
The desertification of our cities would also be negative. Due to COVID-19, we now have to self-isolate and this has left our cities deserted. If companies were to keep the “working from home” model, it would keep our cities empty and that would have a domino effect in the economy. Real Estate would crash since there would be a steep decline in demand. Offices would be empty. Lots of other businesses would also suffer; like the coffee shops, the small take away shops, restaurants and all these retail businesses that give life to our cities and keep workers happy and fed.
Conclusion
No one knows what will happen after COVID-19. Most believe it will all go back to what it was. Maybe that won’t be possible, as so many businesses will be lost and the global economy will be hardly affected.
I believe there will be an adaptation. The same way we now adapting to this strange reality, we will then have to adapt to the reality we will have then. I think some companies will see the benefits of having employees working from home and they will move some departments to work with that model. However, there will always be the need for offices and workers working in offices. Companies need to have face to face meetings, they need to see clients and I don’t think that will happen on anyone’s lounge. But those who are not required to meet clients may be asked to work from home.
Some jobs may change. With this pandemic, we all seen the effects of not having a manufacturing industry in our own countries. So, maybe some of the unemployed will be retrained and start working in new manufacturing industries. No one knows what will happen, all we can do now is respecting the rules and make sure we all get out of this as soon as possible.
Stay safe! Stay Home!