Work Life After COVID-19: Speculation and Reality

While China was the first country to fully face the devastating effects of what was then yet-to-be a global pandemic, it’s now become the best indicator of what work life after COVID-19 could look like. In late March of 2020, it began to lift its strict quarantine in the city of Wuhan when, finally, no new infections were being reported. While their efforts have been met with mixed results, the rest of the world is watching with anticipation as the country tries to restart its economy—doubtless taking notes for their own attempts down the line.

However long or short that “line” will be remains to be seen. If the recent spate of lockdown protests in the United States are any indication, many are itching to get back to “business as usual”. While the global Coronavirus recovery numbers are encouraging (at the time of writing they sit at around 1,159,000), it’s clear that it will be a long time before everything—especially in the workplace—will be anywhere close to the normalcy we once knew. The physical, emotional, and psychological toll is simply too great to be batted away.

More than likely much of work life after COVID-19 will resonate facets of our life today that have become the “new” normal. People will be generally wary of large gatherings—as they should be—manned checkpoints armed with portable temperature “guns”, and face masks are going to be in place until a reliable and accessible antibody test and —ultimately— a vaccine is in place. For those who soon return to offices will see much change in the foreseeable future.

The Changes That Might Be: Work Life After COVID-19

The World Health Organization has already released a set of guidelines covering work life after COVID-19 in anticipation of the inevitable return. In it, they cover in great detail many of the things that will likely feature in your workplace when people return. The first of these is a focus on sanitation and cleanliness. Whether by colleagues, cleaning teams or both, your workplace is going to be cleaned more regularly than before.

Although fumigation—which was very popular at the start of the outbreak—has been proven by the US EPA to be ineffective for cleaning contaminated surfaces, wiping them down with liquid cleaning products is. Expect to have your workstations regularly wiped down.

Keeping the (Social) Distance in Work Life After COVID-19

As for the actual look of the offices themselves, commercial real estate firm, Cushman & Wakefield have developed what they call the Six Foot Office. Given the experience, they had aiding over 10,000 companies and organizations in China move a one million-strong workforce back to work, their ideas are interesting to see. Much of the redesign ideas for work life after COVID-19 ready office comes from their own experimentation and testing.

The central guiding principles for the Six Feet Office revolve around concepts familiar to us already: social distancing and better hygiene. To the first end, they call for a reorganization of office workspaces to enforce that distance. The physical spacing of workstations is reinforced by visual signals—like clear and obvious circles embedded on the floor to subconsciously prompt people to keep a distance from their co-workers. Separation is further enforced by barriers between desks.

This they further support by the idea of a clockwise direction-only movement policy in lanes marked by arrows on the floors to get around the office. They cribbed the idea from hospitals they’ve worked with where the policy ensures that—even in the hustle and bustle of a work day—people don’t bump into each other, inadvertently breaking social distancing rules. The challenge, of course, is in shifting “very ingrained behaviours and expectations”, according to their head of Occupier Business Performance, Despina Katsikakis.

The New Face of Meetings

Of course, social distancing for work life after COVID-19 is one thing when people are sitting at their desks. It’s not so easy when you think about how meetings used to be conducted prior to the lockdowns. These were gatherings of varying sizes of people, often cramped in small spaces within the office. Many companies have recognized the danger should work resume and some have taken drastic measures.

When you think about it, however, the solution has been staring us right in the face. For the past weeks, the remote work setups adopted by many companies have paved the way for virtual meetings—as seen in increased usage of platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom. It wasn’t easy for some but necessity is the mother of invention and online meetings are pretty much the norm nowadays.

There’s really no reason why a modified form of this setup can’t be utilized even when people are back in the office. Conference rooms can serve as main communications hubs from which those who are initiating a meeting can safely base themselves with all the materials they need. Employee-attendees, in the meantime, can stream meetings via the company’s preferred platform from the safety and comfort of their workstations. The arrangement doesn’t take away the need for connection and interaction, neither does it compromise safety.

Comms Teams Will Take The Lead in Work Life After COVID-19

Apart from their very obvious role in facilitating effective meetings as previously discussed, internal communications teams will have a big role to play in work life after COVID-19. We’ve talked previously about how critical they have been at the start of and through this current crisis, as well as in the ongoing adoption of remote work by many companies. That’s likely to be further built on when we start transitioning back into the office.

Much of the work that communications teams can expect to be doing has to do with ensuring new setups and policies are disseminated and reinforced constantly. Remember the difficulty people experienced in getting used to remote work to begin with? It’s because the accepted way of doing things was turned on its head. This will be the same experience when office life returns.

So visually rich and engaging collateral like infographics, digital signage, training, and videos—are going to be necessary to ensure that everyone knows the rules and what they need to do. There are already highly creative examples like the ones posted in this post that make effective use of eye-catching visuals and easy-to-remember text to get a point across. All of this will then have to be carefully scheduled and planned so as not to overwhelm.

Testing The Waters With Technology

Of course, any information campaign is only as effective as how many people actually action what is being asked. This challenge is in changing embedded behaviour—a difficult task if there ever was one. For Cushman & Wakefield and their Six Feet Office, it’s all about leveraging existing technology. Beacons are installed throughout their office to track their employee’s movements via their phones.

Apart from allowing for a more comprehensive audit of their design, those same beacons can send out warnings to those who are breaking the six-foot limitations in place. This technology and its application are not completely new. They have been used before to gather so-called “people analytics” to aid in the refinement of diversity and inclusion programs within a company. It’s a noble aim, but the application of the technology isn’t without controversy.

Many have likened the application to Orwell’s 1984 and the breach of privacy is certainly something to note. Given the gravity of the risks in work life after COVID-19, the technology might warrant revisiting, but companies need to tread carefully. Besides, with careful communication planning and reinforcement, there might not be a need to go overboard and spend time and resource on tracking technology. Effective communication can reinforce the required behaviour without extra cost.

More Emphasis on Remote Work Options

The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated lockdowns globally has revealed for many companies how business does not stop when it goes remote. While that might not signal a grand shift towards wholly remote work setups, work life after COVID-19 will likely feature at least limited integration of the option for remote work within many companies. After all, the benefits of the model for employers and employees alike is one that has been proven time and time again.

In order to do this, companies need to invest in communication platforms and be clear on what is used for what. Comms heads can and should work alongside their counterparts in IT in uncovering which platforms meet the needs of their company when it comes to remote working. Microsoft and other leaders in the field have stepped up the development of their platforms to provide for the communications and collaboration needs of companies through the crisis and beyond.

Without doubt communications will have a strong part to play in work life after COVID-19. Initially, this will be centered on the education of employees in the shifts in policy that companies are making, and the continuous reinforcement of it. On a wider scale however, comms heads are becoming the go-to people for executives who are starting to realise that a knowledgeable, engaged and aware workforce is key to the survival, growth and prosperity of the organisation post COVID-19.

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Remote Work Setups Demand Better Communications

If there’s one good thing to come out of this pandemic, it’s that many companies are actually capable of thriving in a remote work setup. For some companies, like Zillow, it has compelled them to extend the option for their employees until the end of the year. For a few others, like Twitter, it has gotten them to recognize remote work as a viable, permanent model. It’s looking like many companies are going to sit between these two extremes for the foreseeable future.

Post-crisis internal communications is going to be the glue keeping things together—as it has been doing through the darkest days of the crisis. With social distancing measures also likely to continue for those companies that do reinstate their in-office work, we’re likely going to see many activities like conferences, meetings, and one-on-ones done online and over the same internal communications channels that have been utilized effectively through the lockdown.

Post-Crisis Internal Communications Needs to Be On-Guard

The COVID-19 pandemic also revealed just how vulnerable many employees were in a crisis. For some, it was as simple as not being able to safely commute to work. For others, it could be the lack of a home infrastructure to make remote working sustainable. On the health front, the pandemic also revealed people’s greater care needs—and how dependent they are on strong, decisive stands from their leaders whether in the government or at work.

Post-crisis internal communications will have to continue to create open dialogue and bridges between employers and their people. We don’t know yet whether or not a cure is approaching, but we do know already that employees need help—financially, psychologically, or otherwise. It fell upon internal comms to ensure that these are delivered effectively to people far afield. In the “New Normal”, this function needs to be reinforced and enhanced—as well as prepared for the challenges that lie ahead.

Post-Crisis Internal Communications Can Take Cues from Parenthood

Dealing with people in a sensitive and conscientious manner is something many companies learned through the challenges that the COVID-19 lockdowns brought. After all, these are extraordinary times with very little precedent—and many people are reporting trauma responses to the circumstances they find themselves in. This has left post-crisis internal communications in an interesting situation where the hard truth alone won’t suffice—nor even be acceptable.

To that, communicators can take cues from parenthood—that is, to blend truth, compassion, and creativity in crafting their messages. The combination affords a great deal of respect not just for your employees but their current situations as well. Equally important to post-crisis internal communications is to veer away from a one-way informing model to one that gives greater choice and fluidity—as well as dialogue. This affords your employees’ greater sense of freedom in a world that’s already very tightly locked down and controlled.

Post-Crisis Internal Communications Need Greater Inclusivity

It isn’t just during crises that a certain degree of sensitivity and inclusivity needs to be applied. Post-crisis internal communications would benefit a great deal from it as well. If you take the example of Airbnb’s Brian Chesky’s statement when that company had to retrench, it’s a perfect example of sensitivity and inclusivity. In those examples, a lot of it has to do with word choice. Throughout the discourse, Brian Chesky refers to his employees as “teammates” implying a closer connection.

While that word choice is critical in creating inclusivity, what hammers the point home is the manner in which those who are due to be let go are ultimately treated. Apart from a hefty severance pay, which includes being able to take home their Apple laptops, Airbnb’s teammates are given full career support and guidance. It’s important this example is taken forward for post-crisis internal communications especially as it’s looking more like it won’t just magically disappear.

Post-Crisis Internal Communications Should Provide Accurate but Considerate Information

A lot of the panic in the early days of the COVID-19 crisis came from conflicting information. Some sources claimed that the virus would just go away, while medical experts said otherwise. Some companies—like the aforementioned Airbnb handled difficulties with honesty and grace—while others caused crises within their own companies with vague responses and unclear policies. It’s going to be especially important that, from here on in, post-crisis internal communications always stay honest and accurate.

That being said, it’s also important to be considerate of the people being communicated to. These are very tough times. For many employees—especially those who need to return to the workplace to earn a living—it can be very scary as well. While it’s not to say that accuracy should ever be sacrificed for the sake of being considerate, there is much to be said about carefully wording post-crisis internal communications. Additionally, communicators would do well to coordinate with decision makers more closely to ensure that responses also provide answers that employees might seek.

Post-Crisis Internal Communications Needs to Take Charge

Finally, post-crisis internal communications should take charge when it comes to enforcing and maintaining key communications policies that ensure that none of them are breached. For instance, cramped meeting rooms and conference halls are a thing of the past. As evidenced by experiences with work from home setups in these lockdowns, virtual conferences are the way to go to ensure that social distancing is maintained without compromising the need to actually meet.

A lot of this has to do with careful management of available communication channels as well as setting up procedures that other departments need to follow through the implementation. Some great practices include making meetings briefer and more direct to the point. This does away with the tendency for virtual meetings to drag on for too long.

Learn the Worthwhile Lessons

As undoubtedly difficult as the COVID-19 crisis has been for everyone, we’ve come to learn a lot from the experience. For one thing, we’ve proven that remote work operations are feasible. With the right internal communications setups and the right channels, business proceeds as normal as can be had. It’s clear that the effects of this crisis will be far reaching—there’s a new and different normal to be expected that will carry on some of the practices that the crisis itself has forced us to follow.

In order for companies to flourish, it’s important that their post-crisis internal communications stick to the valuable lessons from the crisis. For one, that remote work is a viable option for business continuance provided there’s a strong comms setup. For another, that companies can manage to be both honest yet still caring for their employees. Finally, that agility and expedience is necessary in comms to keep it ahead of the curve.

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