The top ways we have learned to work differently during the pandemic

The pandemic has shown us that, try as we might to fit into the conventional way of doing things – getting up at 7, leaving home at 8, and doing the office stint from 9 to 5 – there are many other ways of doing things which often work better for both our managers and us, and help us get the most out of our day. They are also beneficial for the workplace as they help us be more productive. Here are some of the key insights from working during the pandemic in 2020.

Flexible hours

Many employees have children, which can mean the average working day really does not work around them. Either they are looking at their phone because the school is texting updates on their children when they still have to be at work, or they are hurriedly trying to get back to their colleagues’ emails in between picking up their children from school and putting them to bed. It isn’t a particularly effective way of doing things. Employees might do better if they could work the hours that suit them. For example, when they have fewer demands from their children and can devote more attention to their work. Remember, it may be best for you to request flexible working yourself.

Working shorter hours

If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it is that life is precious, and perhaps we put too much attention on careers that may not make us happy. This is where allowing shorter hours may come in useful. People want to feel they can make the most out of life and that their job doesn’t drive everything they do. Many corporations increasingly allow things like remote-working Fridays or flexible days off – something to take advantage of to redress your work-life balance.

Flexible locations

The conventional office set-up has existed for decades in many cases, but the pandemic shows us that it really isn’t the only way of doing things. It involves firms paying a lot of rent and overheads. While working from home may not be the best option – given employees cannot Zoom each other forever – renting office spaces like those available in serviced offices Cheltenham is a good way to get an affordable and valuable place to work.

Allowing extended period of holiday

Many firms offer 25 days of holiday a year, but is this really enough to get in all the different things we want to do in life? Allowing sabbaticals and the option to take more holiday in lieu of pay provides the opportunity to travel, as well as care for a loved one, should an untoward event happen, or even deal with bereavement, if compassionate leave is not enough. All this can be extremely valuable to employees and worth more to them than more pay.

All in all, coronavirus has been a really steep learning curve for those of us that work, but perhaps it will allow us to realise what is important for us and get more out of life while working in a way that suits us. It can be hard to learn things, but it often makes us happier in the long run if we take the learnings onboard!