In my previous post, I wrote about the dangers of the sedentary lifestyle the pandemic has imposed on us. But the effects of the pandemic range from physical to psychological to social, and it's time we started talking about life after Coronavirus. Since more and more people are vaccinated, lockdowns are being seized and many countries are allowing travel, it's important to ask ourselves: now what?
This blog post is dedicated to work, though. I want to start a conversation about what our life will be like if we continued working from home after then pandemic.
Disclaimer: I only speak of the employer-employee dynamic in this post and don't imply or insinuate anything about the self-employed. All opinions expressed are my own.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, many of us started working from home. For many companies, this was unheard of. I've heard stories of managers arguing that working from home will lead to working less. What we've learned, however, is that the opposite is true in this case. Working from home had many people working longer hours and as a result they burned themselves out.
Working from home has now become acceptable among employers and employees, and in many cases there have been discussions to keep a big number of employees at home. What des that mean for the employer? Less space and resources to sustain the work of their employees. Since the employee is at home, they don't need an office, nor a desk in an open space. Companies don't need to provide lunch, and they don't need to pay for their commute or other benefits some employers had been offering before the pandemic (like a gym subscription). Sustaining the same number of employees with less cost will lead to greater profit for the company. Employees will then have to provide office material for themselves: a desk, a room (which may even lead to seeking a bigger apartment, which means higher rent, which won't be accounted for by their jobs).
When you add the exploitation component, it all gets worse. Many people who work from home are more likely to overwork themselves and as a result end up burned out. This has a tremendous effect on the well-being of the employee. And it makes me wonder, late at night, as I'm counting sheep, how much do employers care about the well-being of the people they employ as long as they are productive?
Working from home during the pandemic was the necessary evil to keep everyone safe. Working from home after the pandemic however is something that benefits employers mostly. Some people may argue that they enjoy the freedom of working from home. I know I do. But I don't have the resources to sustain a workspace inside my home. And working from home taught me how little balance there is when you work in the same space you are supposed to rest.
I believe this is a topic we should be discussing more as the pandemic slowly comes to an end (hopefully). And by talking about it more and taking necessary action, we might influence governments to create specific laws in favor of the employee who works from home.
What is your opinion on working from home after the pandemic ends?
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