How Work Has Changed
There are a lucky few out there who have not had the way they work disrupted because of COVID-19, but most of us are living out the turbulence of change on a daily basis. The biggest change for workers is that many are now working remotely. While remote work in and of itself is not problematic, it takes time for people to set themselves up for success when working remotely and it might not be possible for some workers to create a completely successful remote working environment.
The first hurdle of remote work people are facing right now is not having a dedicated workspace. Not everyone has a home office available to them so people all around the world are setting up at kitchen tables, in bedrooms or anywhere they can find extra space in their homes. This has both big and small implications. Imagine trying to work at a kitchen table with people cooking lunch just feet away from you. How distracting would that be?
But even for people who do have comfortable home offices available, schools across the country and the world have been closed which has shifted a huge responsibility onto parents who are not only responsible for childcare during the day, but oftentimes their children’s education as well. Many parents are now tasked with finding time to set their children up for online schoolwork or finding something to keep them busy for as long as possible so they can work.
Finally, many workers are trying to do their job without the tools and equipment they are used to having. This could be computers, monitors, software or other special equipment. Many companies were not prepared for a fully remote workforce, so workers might not have what they need at home. This could prevent them from doing projects entirely, or severely slow down their work.