What Corona Virus forced upon us, many people are now unwilling to give up.

Early in 2020 the whole world woke up to the potential of remote working, it didn’t have a choice. Yet the following weeks brought about a plethora of changes. Suddenly our skies were clear, the pollution levels dropped, water courses ran clear and our towns and cities were filled with the sound of birdsong. The pace of life changed and yes, there were and are challenges, yet the more relaxed way of being appealed. Offices were left empty and businesses realised that they could still function witihout ‘presenteeism’. so huge cost saving could be made. Never one to look cost savings and increased profits in the eye many companies are now looking into the long term viability of keeping the majority of the workforce at home; at least for a proportion of the time.

It isn’t all roses round the door however, the loss of social interaction, lifestyle choices and the transfer of tacit rather than explicit knowledge could all be adversely impacted. This is a major consideration for businesses, communities and society generally. The video conference and online meeting is without doubt and innovation and advancement of technology yet, it doesnt quite substitute for that face to face “feel” of a meeting that sometimes we need. So will we all be homebased in the future, well, it is likely to by a hybrid. Some from of home based contract with a minimum “Office time” commitment. basing this on a flexi time approach would assist in the short term with social distancing and new working regimes, yet governments may also need to look at secondary and tertiary legislation to ensure that employers and employees are not in breach of taxation rules and homeowner obligations and covenants.

With all that in view, it’s possible to think that as CV-19 passes we will still continue to be able to work in our homes and gardens, to keep communitng down to a minimum level and to maintain the clear skies and lower traffic roads that we have been enjoying.