COVID-19 has compelled many managers and office staff in businesses to work from their homes. Since COVID-19 may stay with us till middle or end of 2021, we need to understand the impact that remote working will have on the way we work.

The trend to work from home will continue till end 2021, but perhaps even beyond. Many companies will review whether they need so many employees to come to work in offices daily. There will be a serious assessment of which jobs can also be done from homes. This will also impact the sizes of the offices that companies will build or rent in the future. It can also impact salaries. Employees, who work from homes, need not be stationed in large metro towns where rentals are high and have to be reimbursed. If employees are to work from home, they could be based in smaller towns where rentals and costs of living are lower.

As a result of the pandemic, employees will want to have larger homes in the future, with an extra room for an office. COVID-19, has made home offices a hard reality, and those who can afford it, will want to have a permanent study room or office at home in the future.

It is also a fact that any business or productive activity requires human interaction and exchange of ideas. There are definite limitations to the Zoom calls or Google teams and the work from home philosophy. Creative professions like advertising which require interactions cannot be managed from homes. Film-making too, cannot be undertaken at homes. They require outdoor shooting and interactions.

So hopefully, post the pandemic by end 2021, we can return to working in offices, surrounded by our colleagues and exchange thoughts and ideas across tables.

Rajendra Aneja — Mumbai, India