After the COVID-19 pandemic: Transformation of working life and its impacts

The COVID-19 pandemic hit us unexpectedly and hard, and its effects were felt all over the world. In the fight against COVID-19, Finland chose isolation tactics; closing the borders between regions, closing down restaurants and cinemas and switching to remote working were ways to combat the virus and stop its progression.

The remote work phenomenon does not only affect the people who consider the model suitable for themselves.

Was the lockdown and the resulting change in working life a good or a bad thing? Advocates of remote work talk about the new balance between work and leisure and point out that remote work can make everyday life easier, prevent unnecessary office visits and increase efficiency. On the other hand, people are concerned about the reduced importance of work communities, difficulties in managerial duties and the downsides of continued and long-lasting remote work.

The remote work phenomenon does not only affect the people who consider the model suitable for themselves. The repercussions for the entire work community are obvious, as, for example, the attachment of new employees to the shared values and the work community and the opportunity to learn from others suffer when part of the team is always working remotely.

Ultimately, the employer decides how and where the work is carried out, but the best thing would be to find a solution that everyone can commit to through mutual agreement with the personnel.

It should be noted that the discussion about the relationship between remote and in-person does not apply to the entire working population. Factories, hospitals, shops, public transport and security, for example, cannot operate without people being physically present, which means that today’s working life has become divided in this sense.

Many work communities have found hybrid working models that work well, but there are also workplaces where the topic is met with divided opinions. Ultimately, the employer decides how and where the work is carried out, but the best thing would be to find a solution that everyone can commit to through mutual agreement with the personnel.

Discussions on remote work centre around the opposition between “me and us” – perhaps stronger than any other working life discussion.

We are living in a period of human experimentation in working life, and finding right and wrong answers is difficult. Discussions on remote work centre around the opposition between “me and us” – perhaps stronger than any other working life discussion. Remote and hybrid work are certainly here to stay, but their scale is still unknown. When we discuss the role of remote work and its advantages and disadvantages, we should remember the facts and keep an open mind for the benefit of the entire work community, in addition to your own feelings.

In this Telma magazine, you can read about the working life changes cause by the pandemic and the solutions and practices that workplaces have adopted as a result of the changes. We hope you enjoy reading Telma!