When coronavirus lockdowns were introduced, the shift to flexible working and remote work was sudden and sweeping. Now the British government is hoping the return to the office will be just as swift – to help the economy “get back to normal”. But pushing everyone back to the office full time fails to recognise the many benefits that working from home has brought. It also fails to capitalise on this moment of change.
The mass homeworking experiment in the middle of a pandemic presented some of the most challenging circumstances possible. Yet, coming out the other side of it, there’s likely to be considerable resistance to simply readopting old ways of working. This is already evident at the start of a new research project I’m leading at Southampton Business School into the effects of COVID-19 on the workplace, called Work After Lockdown, with partners the Institute for Employment Studies and work consultancy Half the Sky.
Coronavirus lockdowns accelerated the shift to flexible working in a way that had previously seemed impossible. They also provide hard evidence of how work can be done differently – and successfully. Most crucially, they have provided vivid illustration of this to resistant managers, who were previously the key block to flexible working.
By mid-lockdown in April, the Office for National Statistics estimated that nearly half of people in employment were working from home in some way. These were predominantly white-collar office workers. Considering that, prior to the pandemic, fewer than 30 percent of people had ever worked from home, this marks a significant shift.
Some organisations were much better prepared for this switch than others. Those who had already mobilised the necessary remote-working technology adapted more easily, as often did multinational companies already used to managing virtual teams with diverse needs.
But lockdown was nevertheless a shock for most employees. Few were ready to start performing all of their work from home, let alone manage this under far from ideal circumstances – such as children to care for and educate, or shielding relatives to support, not to mention health concerns to manage. Unsurprisingly, this was often a struggle. What has been more unexpected in our research so far was how quickly people adapted, often finding more efficient ways of organising their time.
So far there seems to be little evidence of a drop in productivity. This is very difficult to measure due to the economic effects of the pandemic. The OECD think tank pointed to an initial drop, followed by reports of an upsurge in productivity, and argued strongly that the wellbeing of remote workers is central to sustaining productivity gains. This is a key message for employers – that well-managed working from home that is chosen and not forced upon people will make work more efficient and productive.
Rethinking the office
All this is prompting employers to think about how their work spaces can be used differently and more effectively. Offices could be a space for convening and group thinking, while homes become the site of undisturbed, productive work.
In fact, there are already creative discussions going on in organisations about how they can ensure that they benefit from the disruption caused by the pandemic. As one manager at a large legal firm said: “We have a completely blank sheet of paper.”