Flex Time, Remote Working, Shared Office Spaces and Future Work Trends
Take a moment and think back to a year ago? Where were you? Was it a cubicle? Corner office? Boardroom? Did you enjoy meeting coworkers in the break room or did you wake up every morning dreading the 6AM commute just to get a good parking spot? Was there ever a moment when you wished you could just forget all the white noise of the office and just enjoy work in the peace of your own home? Well that might not be a fantasy anymore.
It seems as though every day, more and more companies, banks, and firms have been trying to find new ways to allow their employees to work safely from home in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. This has started to create a small revolution in what could be called office culture. Think about it? Doing all the labor of your 9 to 5 job but in the comfort of your own home. In some cases people who have jobs in office buildings or law firms have personalized office spaces in their own house. Think your office chair is too uncomfortable? Well now you can find the one that works best for you. And depending on your profession, who’s to say you couldn’t just do all your work from an office supplied laptop from the comfort of your own bed. Wells Fargo is a company who gives out secure laptops to their employees so they can continue to work from home, as well as link cables so if you feel more comfortable on a mouse and a keyboard looking at a monitor, you can.
Remote work could actually turn out to be a saving grace for the average American office worker. Being able to work from home has allowed most people to work on their own schedules. Since most companies can track employee progress using provided hardware, like with the Wells Fargo example from earlier, upper management personnel can see when people are hard at work and when they are taking breaks. As long as work is getting done in a timely fashion or an employee puts in the required hours by the end of the day, business can happily continue to move forward. Imagine that for a moment: Being able to work your own hours, in a space that you feel maximizes your productivity and minimizes your stress. In a way you become your own boss, just with some invisible supervision.
It is kind of weird to think about isn’t it? Not too long ago working remotely was something reserved for those who became injured or who had special permission for one reason or another. Now more than ever, there is a new sense of equality among office workers across the world. We all can be where we are comfortable, work how we want to, and not feel overly stressed or intimidated by the drama of everyday office life.
Now things may not be perfect. Some folks have issues with their internet or perhaps you have kids or pets and your house may not be the quietest. Like anything life, especially in the business world, evolution and change take time. It takes some effort to adapt to new things but knowing everyone is going through the same thing and on the same level should give some comfort. It will take some tweaking and adjusting, but that happy medium will be found. Maybe at the end of the day, these positive trends will be seen to be more effective for some and then working remotely will become a more commonplace option.
Of course if you enjoyed and are now missing the personal contact of the office don’t worry. Chances are that won’t be eliminated entirely. We are entering a new era where everyday workers are able to make themselves the most comfortable they can be. It’s a new day with all new possibilities. And we all get to be a part of it together.
