Are you ready for work after COVID-19 Lockdown?

Sanjay Arora

FIRST Monday of February 2020: You usually got up from your bed excited about the day. But this day was perhaps different. You were excited, but also a bit miffed about something. Why were you feeling so blue? Oh, it was a Monday! As you drove to work, you thought, is this the way one should start the first day of the week? Office was the usual —smiles and hellos, shaking hands, asking people how they were doing, how did they spend their weekend, and so on. While all of this was going on, you started to think, what if everyone gets to stay home? Wouldn’t that be fascinating? While you were thinking about what a blessing working-from-home will be, there was something which was spreading around the globe. COVID-19 hit us all hard and we went into a national lockdown. Should you call it a black tongue curse? Or did you have a premonition of what was going to happen?

The Lockdown: The first week went on to be great, ate way too much and basically celebrated in the comfort of our home while working. Then came the second week; the weird thing about this lockdown is that there are no weekends. Days never seem to end, with the housework, office work, meetings, cooking and the list is unending. Is this what you thought of working from home? No!

The lockdown has been extended till May 3 for now, depending on the situation it may be extended again.This is a global pandemic. COVID-19 needs no introduction, we all are well aware of how fast it spreads. Now the big question is how will it affect us in a post lockdown world?

The Future: There are questions galore. Will we ever take a flight? Will we ever shake hands with anyone? Will we ever hug our close friends? Will we ever eat outside? Will we take shared cabs or give lift to anyone in our cars? Will the office be a safe and sanitised place to work? Will remote working become more acceptable than it was pre-COVID?

The day we step out of our houses, everything is going to change. The way we behave, the way we commute, the way we greet, the way we eat, the way we sit, the way we talk. It is not going to be same as it was before the lockdown. Does that mean we have to adapt to a new normal? The answer to this is YES. There is going to be a new normal now and the rules of this one will be different. This is the transition that we are not yet prepared for.

The New Normal

Employees: Let us imagine what this new normal will be like. From an employee’s perspective,

1. There will changes that will be welcome and some changes will be a challenge.

2. Many of us will be delighted to finally step out of our houses, drive, and meet colleagues and friends.

3. Managers will become more accommodating to remote working and virtual meetings – a welcome change for many employees.

4. On the other hand, the employees may fear layoffs if the organisation’s business is under stress.

5. On a day-to-day basis, employees will be concerned about safety and sanitisation, both at workplace as well as during commute.

6. As physical distancing becomes the norm, socializing at work will not be safe. Imagine a workplace with fewer fun activities, uncomfortably distant water-cooler conversations, and no team lunches!

Employers: What will change for employers? Let me first talk about the welcome changes.

1. Many companies have adapted to digital ways and processes amidst this lockdown. Employees during this break have started reading more, learnt new skills and it will be an advantage for an employer when all these new skills will be put to work.

2. Coming to the challenges, companies are going to face financial challenges due to this lockdown.

3. For a few industries, not just the balance sheet, but also the entire business model may be put to test.

4. On a tactical front, employers will have to arrange transportation for their employees to decrease the risk from public transport.

5. Office spaces will have to be redesigned, regularly sanitised and newer ways of working will have to be put in place.

We will Win

The lessons that we are learning about living within the parameters defined by the lockdown without dependence which was unimaginable till February 2020, will stay with us. Did you ever think that virtual meetings can be as meaningful as they have turned out to be?

Who would have thoughtthat most of us will demonstrate collective discipline which we were told we lacked?

We have now a new definition of what is normal, a new normal has taken shape in 2020. Life is not going to be the same again. These are difficult times and we are all evolving with the situation. The transition is going to be difficult and time taking. The way things were done will change. Homo Sapiens is a species adaptive to changes, this is the time to prove our resilience. We are all in this together and have to support each other. Governments all over the world are taking all the measures to keep the community safe. Eventually we will come out of this and thrive in the new normal post COVID-19.