With some states already opened back up, we are beginning to look towards the future. This may leave a lot of unanswered questions for business owners who run restaurants and offices. What can we expect? Do you think that the global pandemic will change the way we work forever, or even just a while? Life as we know it has changed drastically for many people in the mists of COVID-19, but there will be long-lasting changes for small business owners. These are our predictions for the future of the workplace post-COVID-19.
Health Matters
In pre-coronavirus times, one could get away with some sniffles at the desk. If you have a small cold, perhaps you push through and wait for the weekend to get time to recover. I believe this will go out of the window. Now when someone sneezes in the office everyone's head will turn. Hopefully, employers will take their employees' health more seriously and not pressure them to come to work when ill. This pandemic has made us realize that we are responsible for the health and safety of those around us in some ways. Furthermore, we could see a new trend of employers taking your temperature before you enter the office! I also predict the comeback of cubicles.
Restaurant Measures
There are so many questions surrounding the reopening of restaurants, as people rethink the implications of a stranger being in close contact with their food. No one knows exactly what will happen when restaurants open back up for dining-in, and they have already suffered greatly from the loss of business. Whether you went down to takeout only, or closed altogether, opening to full service will be unpredictable at first. It’s unknown how long it will take for the general population to feel comfortable getting back in the full swing of going out normally. Surely there will be even more sanitation guidelines than are already in place for restaurant operations. There is more thought given to surfaces that people touch throughout the day such as door handles, booths, and trays. Think of a ketchup bottle that sits on the table all day, perhaps restaurants will move to bring them out upon request and wiping them down in between, and spacing out the dining room.
Retail Retention
We have seen lines to get in stores, and restrictions for the number of people in the store at a time. Will this hold up post-COVID-19 or will we go back to being shoulder-to-shoulder? Maybe it will take even longer to open up non-essential retail stores, and we know they are suffering great losses too. Many people are also continuing to suffer personal financial losses, it could take a while to get back to non-essential spending and frivolous shopping. More options online may come out on top in the beginning. Or, completely the opposite, people are chomping at the bit to go back to the mall.
Remote Takeover
Hey, you know that job they told you was impossible to do from home and you had to come into the office for 40 hours a week? Yeah, COVD-19 found that to be false. Jobs that were never imagined to be remotely worked are now fully operating from home. We have seen full call centers with 40+ employees pack up their phones and dial from home. Not to say all positions should be worked from home, but perhaps this has shown many to think outside the office.
Shared Spaces
The breakroom, the fridge, serving trays, the office microwave; we will all take a beat before touching these shared surfaces now. Shared spaces in the workplace have been a norm, but now we will probably think twice about them. Any surface that multiple people touch has the potential to put health in danger, and spaced out desks or cubicles can only go so far when we have shared spaces in the workplace. Maybe individual mini-fridges in offices instead of a shared one in the breakroom.
Talking Telemedicine
Telemedicine has been at the forefront of many COVID-19 health discussions. Can you be more at-risk by going into a doctor's office? Is it necessary to drive to your doctor's office and sit down with them to get a prescription refilled? I predict that many offices will move some appointments to telehealth even after the pandemic passes, I think this has shown that it is a possibility in our climate. Clinic owners who do not give telehealth options going forward could be left in the dust.
First Union Lending’s funding options can help you navigate the post-COVID-19 world, so your finances are one thing that doesn't have to be unknown. Shedule a call or call to get started.