By Abhishek Sharma
This article first appeared in Al Khaleej (Arabic) on October 26, 2020.
The unprecedented shift to, and dependence on digital communication, the normalization of remote working practices and heightened hygiene requirements have all set themselves on a pathway to potential long-term shifts in direct response to Covid-19. The experience of being forced to step back from physical workplaces as they shut down has had a seismic impact. Organizations have been quick to recognize the impact of these measures on employee performance. 53% of companies in the US, for example, implemented wellness initiatives to help cope with impact on psychological and emotional wellbeing.
This disruption in everyday work life provides organizations the unique chance to institutionalize new practices such as rapid all-staff virtual meetings and end in-person brainstorming or conferences - to deliver greater health, happiness, and productivity for their employees and customers while continuing to yield benefits long after the pandemic has ended
It is important to recognize the likelihood that many of these new ways of working will themselves lapse if we do not actively shape the post-COVID environment that we are starting to enter. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for organizations to effectively drive large-scale improvements in working practices that ensure continued employee and employer satisfaction that ultimately translates into increased productivity, business sustainability and success.
To read the full article on Al Khaleej.ae (Arabic), please click here.
