According to polls, 44 percent of Americans working from home would like to continue that arrangement. In Canada, while two-thirds of those polled indicated they missed their work colleagues, roughly 80 percent said they would like to continue working from home, at least part of the time.

Implications

As a greater number of us develop immunity, some form of return to work will be expected, required and in some cases, desired.

The media has highlighted cries of inequity over vaccine distribution in both Canada and the US. Companies run a similar risk when/if they adopt different working options for different parts of their workforce. For most, jobs in the field and “on site” will require physical presence. Of course, customer-facing roles have continued throughout the pandemic; remote work is not an option. If your business is staffed with a combination of remote work optional and non-remote work optional roles, you’ll want to consider your expectations, practices and policies in advance. In the UK, EU and Canada, most areas remain in lockdown, so you have some time to prepare for return. In the US, the return to work has commenced and time is of the essence.

Considerations

Corporate culture. Did your employees participate in karaoke nights, recreational sports leagues, and physical scrums (project planning and monitoring) prior to the restrictions? If so, camaraderie and a highly engaging social environment might have been part of the appeal and a contributor to employee satisfaction and engagement, thus retention.

Client expectations. Many of us have embraced virtual healthcare; in some cases, it will remain preferable to crowded physicians’ waiting rooms with coughing patients. However, medicine is not a one-size-fits-all service. Patients and healthcare providers still need face-to-face interaction to resolve many issues. The same is true for professional services. High-net-worth clients may not be satisfied with virtual interactions for all meetings with their lawyers, accountants, and financial advisors. The same is true for the bulk of middle-class customers of financial planners and other professional services. If you provide professional services, I challenge you to consider the impact on client retention if interactions are mostly or solely virtual. If that is the case, your customers can much more easily source services from any locale.

Legalities. Depending on the country in which you operate, you are likely legally entitled to adjust (downward) compensation for those who opt to work remotely for part or all of the time. You may or may not choose to adopt this practice, but if you do, you will want to communicate it carefully. It can be a means of addressing the perceived or real inequities between roles in the company.

Historical practices. Were employees in some positions able to work remotely before the pandemic? Organizations like IBM, Oracle, TD Bank and Google have had remote work arrangements in place for decades. Interesting to note, however, that Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai communicated that upon return to work, employees are expected to live within commuting distance and be in the office three days per week. There will be no permanent remote work option. If remote work was an option before, a continuation for some employees may not generate any resentment. But, like Google, you may want to be explicit about expected time in the office.

Leadership expectations. I referenced the long-time practice of remote work for technology companies. It was also common in the financial services industry. In oil and gas and utilities, remote work was uncommon and unsupported. Many executives in these industries expressed a lack of confidence with remote work and its productivity. This has shifted for some companies over the last year. Whatever you decide for your company is likely right for you. What is important to consider is that if you are going to shift from historical practices, is your leadership ready? Will employees feel trusted? Do leaders know how to measure performance at a distance? If not, this will be important to establish.

Financial opportunities. Supporting remote work can provide financial benefits – less office space, reduced expenses for often overlooked items such as care of plants, in-office coffee and tea, subsidized parking, etc. Before you fully estimate the cost savings, consider the requirement to provision hoteling space for employees on their in-office days. These are typically cubicles or shared offices with connections for laptops, charging stations for phones, etc.

Remote is not always equal to greater productivity. Full disclosure. I have long been a proponent of some remote work. I had the benefit of working remotely as an executive (one day/week) for more than a decade. My team used to joke that they were happier to have me in the office as I generated so much work on my remote workdays (no interruptions, few breaks and a self-imposed long workday). However, this is not always the case. If remote work does not provide access to required files or information, or if young children are seeking one’s attention, it may not be optimal.

Succession planning, talent development and mentoring. Well-run companies have well-established succession plans and robust employee development programs. I consider workplaces living organisms. Effective talent management is grounded in consistent practices, led by the executive. It also requires many opportunities for observation, feedback, mentoring, relationship building and influence. This cannot be led or conducted remotely. To develop your next leaders, executives, and CEO, you need to spend time with swaths of your workforce.

Demographics of your workforce. Polls indicate that those over 55 are more likely to want to continue to work remotely. This is not surprising. Most in this demographic no longer have young or even school-aged children at home. They are more likely to have a comfortable home environment, and many have developed disciplined work habits after working in office environments for decades. They will form some of your very best mentors, guides and historians. I have spoken and written before about the upsides of offering this age group (55-70) flexible work options that keep them interested, challenge their brains, enable them to share their wisdom with others and retain their talent. This does not apply only to office jobs, but is equally and sometimes even more beneficial in field work. Consider how you can create win-win opportunities for this group, drawing on what you have learned through remote work arrangements and lockdowns.

Security, ergonomics, and metrics. When acting in my capacity as a corporate director, I and my colleagues pay particular attention to our risk matrix. Some risks are amplified with remote work. Employees working from home may well be slouched on a loveseat, at a dining room table, etc. It is important to consider the ergonomic implications and what training and support will be provided, if any. Cyber security can be even more tenuous with remote work arrangements. Some employees have been working from cottages, resort properties, etc. This is always a high-risk area, and one that is increasing all the time. Ensure you receive expert advice and develop, govern and enforce the policies. You will need agreed-to metrics for measuring work output and productivity. I never espouse micromanagement and I always promote measuring outcomes, not activities. So you don’t necessarily need more metrics for remote work. but I have helped many of my clients establish new metrics.

Flight from the cities. Barrie, a suburb of Toronto, has seen a 700 percent increase in real estate activity year over year. Sales in cottage countries have exploded. While one may celebrate the new properties and low mortgage rates, there is not employer obligation to support a self-selected lifestyle change. In other words, if a move from the downtown condo to a detached home with a yard has added a two-hour commute each day, it is not your problem to fix. However, depending on your region and demand for skills, you may need to accommodate to attract and retain special talent.

Coloured badges, bracelets, and lanyards. Many companies issue colour-coded pass cards for building access. Blue cards for permanent employees. Green cards for contractors. Well before the pandemic, this distinction sometimes created dissension in workplaces. As some workplaces are opening again, they have opted for a different coloured lanyard or bracelet for those who choose to identify as high risk. Perhaps they are immune comprised or live with someone who is. This is a well-intentioned practice that could have unintended consequences. Carefully consider and discuss with employees before making these visible distinctions among people. There are alternatives.

Tax implications. The large accounting firms figured out early the implications of employees working from Maui or the Caribbean. And they clearly communicated to employees that remote work must be conducted within specific geographic boundaries. The same is true for those of you who sign binding contracts. In some cases, you need to be resident in your own country at the time of signing a contract on behalf of the organization. While it is certainly appealing to conduct business from beside a sunny swimming pool in the middle of February (for those of us who work in parts of the northern hemisphere), when travel opens up again, it may not be a viable alternative.

The end of lockdowns and restrictions and the return to work may be simple and straightforward for your company. People have altered their work schedules and their work practices for long enough now that new habits have formed. As noted, the majority of those polled do not want to return to their past work practices and environment. Some companies have had their eyes opened to new work practices that may generate financial benefits, increase employee engagement or retention and/or reduce absenteeism. As you consider the path forward for your organization, I hope this overview has provided food for thought. I am supporting many of my executive and board clients on the transition.

© 2021 Lorraine A. Moore. All rights reserved. Permission granted to excerpt or reprint with attribution.

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