Will The Pandemic Upend The Workplace And Our Cities?
The past two years could lead to a fundamental change
As more and more countries locked down over February and March 2020, almost everyone across the globe had to adapt to a new reality — working from home.
All the familiarities of work, such as the daily commute, the chatter in the office canteen and the trips to the local shops for lunch, were no more.
At the time, there was thinking that this could be the death knell for the office. Not a blip until normal service was resumed but something more substantial. Two years on, it’s hard to say we’re back to any form of pre-pandemic normality. Here in the UK, government guidance is to work from home if you can. Far from getting back to normal, we’re inhabiting a new reality. Millions of people have become accustomed to working from home during the pandemic. While there’s a desire to return to the office, especially from governments and employers, the benefits of remote working have become clear. No more commuting, no more getting up early, no more getting stuck in traffic on the way to work, working in the comfort of your own home in comfy clothes. I could go on and on.
When you’ve given people a taste of something new with one hand, it’s very hard to snatch it away from them again with the…
