As I type this, my upper left arm is a little bit sore.
Yes, I finally got my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in a supermarket—and I couldn’t be more excited. To me, this dose brings me closer to casually seeing my family, to reconnecting with my best friends who haven’t even met my 13-month old son. It means returning to the world—not “normal”—but to a new world “post”-COVID.
So, what does that mean?
Has the workplace changed forever or will this pandemic have been a blip on the radar as we all return to the office?
Will employees still feel pressure to come into work with a heavy head full of mucus?
Just like the last year (plus a little), we sort of have to wait and see what happens. We wait to see what works and what doesn’t. We wait to see what’s sustainable, healthy, and human-first.
Instead of relaying what I think will happen (spoiler alert: I truly have no idea) I found some of the most interesting predictions for the future of work after COVID-19—whenever that may be.
1. PErsonal Space + BOundaries WIll Remain Sacred
Here at Career Contessa, we aren’t sure when (or if) we’re going back into a brick-and-mortar workplace, but many folks will.
Aside from that, there are essential businesses that haven’t closed their doors through the entire pandemic—and they couldn’t! This includes places like post offices, supermarkets, and essential retail. The pandemic brought to light just how many people these employees encountered every day.
According to McKinsey & Company’s The Future of Work after COVID-19 Report, jobs with higher levels of physical proximity are likely to see a permanent transformation.
2. We’ll Keep Our Masks (for Certain Occasions)
During the 2019 holiday season, I was traveling on a train while very pregnant when I heard someone coughing, and coughing, and coughing. While I couldn’t see this person, it sounded unlikely that they were coughing into their elbow or hands.
As I sat there, pre-COVID (or so we think!), I imagined that cough-soaked air recycling for the entire three-hour ride. And guess what! I got sick! My husband got sick. The friend we dined with in New York City got sick (sorry Dave!).
So, while we might not be required to keep masks on hand at all times, we think travelers might wear them. We think those experiencing cold symptoms in public might wear them. We think the immunocompromised will keep some masks handy. In hospital and healthcare settings, we will probably continue to see masks, too.
While masks have been somewhat contentious in the United States, I haven't been sick in more than a year.
Continued mask-wearing has been normalized in Hong Kong, Japan, and other parts of Eastern Asia since the SARS outbreak in the early 2000s. The bottom line is this: if wearing a mask made certain folks feel safe during flu season or in crowded areas, then continue to do it. I know my collection of masks is going to be utilized to keep this wellness streak going.
3. Remote Meetings Will Stay
The days of cramming 20+ leaders around a table (and a stale box of jelly doughnuts) might be permanently over.
Obviously, the adoption of remote work has been one of the biggest impacts on the workplace. A survey of 278 executives by McKinsey in August 2020 found that on average, they planned to reduce office space by 30 percent.
While some work can be done remotely, there are some activities that are best if done in person. This includes big decisions, negotiations, brainstorming, and onboarding new employees.
Covid also had a huge impact on business travel and trade shows. As businesses learned to shift their meetings to be remote, they also had to shift a (large) marketing budget to digital-based solutions.
4. Many Will Transition to New Jobs with New Skills
As the economy recovers, many people may still need to transition to new jobs. According to McKinsey’s report, there is an expected job growth in high-wage occupations and a decline in lower-wage occupations. Across the eight focus countries, there are more than 100 million workers who will need to find a different occupation by 2030.
Many of these career transitions will require workers to acquire new skill sets. In some countries and economies, physical and manual skills will be replaced by technological skills and emotional skills.
While industries like office support and warehousing experienced a notable decrease, other occupations, like health and STEM, saw (and will likely continue to see) an uptick.
5. Work Fluidity Will Become the Norm
Work fluidity is the idea that a worker can be productive from anywhere—at any time. After a year of working remotely, we’re no strangers to this idea.
Work fluidity has its pros and cons. While fluidity allows employees to set their own schedules and work at their peak productive times, it can blur the line between work and home life.
