Covid Has Changed Work - Possibly Forever

The pandemic is retreating and companies are calling their employees back to the office. But a total return is far from guaranteed.

• Covid-19 is far from over but many countries are already returning to a more normal way of life. Mask rules are being lifted, people are gathering in larger numbers and offices are filling up.
• The pandemic has changed the way people are working however – and these changes might be long lasting. Above all white collar workers are resisting calls to come back to their offices.
• Even as companies are eager to see their employees in person again they have diffulties to persuade them: Zoom calls and virtual meetings have become common tools that can be used everywhere.
• One remarkable result of the pandemic are so called “Zoom towns” – recreational places close to the mountains or the seaside where workers just need a proper internet connection to do their job.
• In other cases, people have become used to spending more time with their families even if that means to transform parts of their homes into offices – a habit proving difficult to change.
• The struggle for the workplace of the future has just begun. One thing seems to have become obvious: Office work will never be the same again.