With employees across the country working from home many leaders are calling this "the new normal", however a specialist says the future of the workplace requires a balance between old and new practices.
When adjusting plans for workplace flexibility, it's important to understand that the "current situation has happened through necessity and not choice", says Catalina Consultants founder and principal consultant Merilyn Speiser.
In a new HR Daily Premium webcast, Speiser notes that employers have experienced plenty of benefits since shifting to remote work, but it hasn't been an overarching success for everyone.
"The next phase, when we get to it, is going to be very critical to make sure that we've gained those benefits and we've learned from the lessons," she says.
Speiser suggests the future of work is a blended model that will see some workers continuing to work from home while others return to the workplace, but she stresses there is no one-size-fits-all approach, and advises employers to critically examine what has worked for them during the pandemic – along with what hasn't.
Speiser highlights further strategies for improving workplace practices during the pandemic and beyond in the excerpt below.
In the full webcast, Speiser discusses the current state of play; the business case for encouraging flexibility; how COVID has changed flexible work; benefits, lessons and finding the balance; "blended working" as a new concept; and issues to watch out for with WFH employees (upgrade here for access if you're not a premium member).