This archive report was first published on 16 July 2021.
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic, forever changing the way we work. As economies shrunk and governments implemented extensive support schemes, millions of jobs were threatened, and people's wellbeing was impacted directly or through social isolation.
However, amidst the challenges, a significant shift in the world of work emerged. Organizations stepped up their support for employees, communicating more, focusing on individual wellbeing, and trusting them to work in different ways. This led to a paradoxical increase in engagement scores and a shift towards more compassionate and human-level connections in work cultures.
Flexible working, which encompasses not only places of work but also hours and schedules, has become a key factor in attracting and retaining staff. As the labour market tightens, and recruitment challenges arise in sectors and key skill areas, flexible working provision should be seen as a strategic differentiator.
Before the pandemic, flexible working was not the norm, with less than 10 percent of jobs advertised as supporting it. However, the pandemic has acted as a catalyst for change, and as we develop more hybrid and flexible ways of working, there is much to consider.
Ensuring fairness in opportunity to access more flexible working, particularly between those who can work from home and those who must be in a workplace, is crucial. Every organization will need to consult and work with its workforce, balancing individual choice with team and organizational needs.
As workplaces become more adaptable, reappraising how and why we use office space should encourage greater variation in office and work environments. Ongoing investment in workplace and collaborative technologies will be necessary to help everyone work smarter, not just harder.
— Peter Cheese, Chief Executive of the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development.
