In mid-March 2020, life for many Americans changed. Under quarantine orders to “flatten the curve” of the coronavirus pandemic, many workers were furloughed, but others received a directive to work from home.
Home business internet plans became a crucial part of life. People questioned which online activities use the most bandwidth. Employees began to worry if their home business ISP had enough bandwidth to support their children’s distance learning, their spouse’s extra screen time, and nearly constant Zoom meetings or video conferences.
Across the country, employees managed to find ways to become more comfortable with working from home.
Lifting the Work-from-Home Stigma
Prior to the pandemic, statistics show that 43% of the workforce had worked remotely frequently, while 5.3% worked from home nearly all the time. That number skyrocketed to 63% of all employees working from home on April 22.
However, will the work-at-home trend continue even as offices re-open? Will the future workplace become a hybrid of working from home and flex-time in the office?
With the technology in place, including robust home business internet plans, signs could point to yes.
Twitter Sets a Precedent for Working Remotely
In mid-May, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey announced that his employees could opt to work from home “forever,” if they wished.
As companies face social distancing requirements, setting a schedule for employees to work from home on alternate days could alleviate the need to revamp office floor plans. Businesses could save money by working with the space they have. They can run the office at 50% capacity while the rest of the employees work from home on alternate days or weeks.
Schools and Business: Inextricably Linked
If primary schools embrace a split schedule in the fall, parents may have to request work from home days to keep an eye on their kids. Parents have proven they can juggle working from home while overseeing distance learning. They’ve survived the growing pains during the pandemic.
If part-time distance learning becomes the new normal, business owners may choose to permit work-at-home hours to keep from losing their highest performing employees.
How Can Businesses Make the Most of the New Normal?
The business world had slowly been moving toward flex time for years, with Unified Communications technology such as Consolidated Communications’ ProConnect platform and robust home wifi service making it possible.
You can take advantage of business phone plans and Unified Communications as a service through Consolidated Communications to manage a workforce that is partly or fully remote. Embracing the new normal may help to keep employees safe and healthy while reducing overhead for your business.