Talk To Your Workforce About The Lifestyle Impacts Of The Pandemic

The decision to return to the office isn’t just about preference or convenience for many people. As I’m hearing of some leaders stating that it’s time to “get back to normal” and how they need to see employees in the office again, I’m reminded that the feeling of a common crisis that the pandemic brought is long gone. The people making these proclamations may have only experienced life without housekeeping services or a nanny for some months. Meanwhile, others in the workforce may have lost a relative who provided free childcare or essential household income from a family member who lost a job. That’s not so easy to recover from. Maintaining the flexibility to work from home may help some people save on commuting and parking fees, for example, that are desperately needed elsewhere in their budget, maybe even to start digging themselves out of the financial hole the pandemic put them in. I say all of this to say that there needs to be thoughtful consideration given to the wide-ranging impacts the last 15 months have had on people’s lives and decisions must be made equitably. Take the time to really hear about how people are living, not just how they’re working.