Recently, Amy McAid-No daily commute to England.
This is because her home in Brighton, Ontario, advises clients on social media issues without crossing the front door.
Communication professionals With this “life-changing” style of flexible work , manages the needs of young families while manages them. He said he can also manage his business. ..
In the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ability to watch over loved ones carefully was important to many who have balanced family and employment responsibilities in the same place. ..
Butemployers bring more people back to work, to adapt to the new reality of where and how employees work. , These arrangements have changed in part. They get there.
These changes affect the worker and her family, and experts say that employers have an impact when deciding on the future of work in the organization. It states that it needs to be considered.
Regression to the past .
Patricia Faison Hewlin, an associate professor of organizational behavior at McGill University in Montreal Desautels, says employees can sense signals in some workplaces Will send staff about where they want to work.
"The organization is starting to signal:'Now it's time to come back," she said in her telephone interview.
Hewlin is staffed by employers using surveys and online forums . He said he might be measuring how he feels about returning home to the workplace, but the message that follows those efforts is often very straightforward.
"They will signal:'Well, it's great that we can all get together,'" she said, saying that the plan is for people to come back. Workplace with examples of the types of messages shown.
For McQuaid-England, some corporate urges to bring people back seem outdated. Especially if can work from home.
"I think it's the 1980s way of thinking when it comes to work," said McQuaid-England, who started his own business to create a more flexible schedule.
Benefits for parents and caregivers
Aaron Hoyland escaped from the office at the start of the pandemicMillions of Canadian workers Was one of them.
More than two years later, IT professionals still work at Edmonton's home — but it's his choice to stay there.
"I found it overwhelmingly positive," Hoyland said, and the type of work he does is such an arrangement. Said it would be useful.
Hoyland states that he saved time and money because he no longer had to commute. And he found the flexibility to work from his home very convenient . He and his wife are expecting twins to arrive within a few weeks , which could be even more convenient.
Calgary's Ryan Hin said that has already seen the benefits of being able to spend more time around the children.
"If my child was at home at work, I could get up and hug him ," said Hing, an IT professional who works at home. ..
This closeness to the family can also be useful to those who care for older relatives.
See | How will you return to work? : Nita Chinzer, Associate Professor of Human Resources and Business Consulting at the University of Guelph and Matthew Fisher, Employment Lecker and Associates Law Attorney Join Ginella Massa, the host of Canada Tonight, to talk about how the pandemic has changed the work culture and what the future of work will be.
Professor of Human Resources and Principal of the School of Management and Marketing at Curtin University, Australia, Julia Richardson has a role in long-term care may appreciate what a flexible work style can offer. In a broader sense,
said she believes that the ongoing pandemicsituation has led many to rethink the way they live. ..
"I think there's more to life than the importance and centrality of relationships and the satisfaction of your boss. I think it's really back to people," Richardson said. Said in an interview.
The charm of flexibility
Ryan Hin and his wife, Macy, were at home during a pandemic, but that may change soon.
This is because Maisie Hing plans to re-employ after spending several years at home with her three children.
She used to work in the oil and gas industry, but she wants to work in IT.
"IT wants to be a little more flexible," she said.
Ryan Hing as a whole, his transition to work at home was "quite smooth" for him and his family, but that doesn't apply to everyone. I am aware of.
"It all really depends on your support structure. If you don't have it, it's really difficult," he said.
"But if it's in place, you're lucky — and I think I'm lucky."
Need to rethink "the state of work" There is
that support is also available from outside the house in the form of day care for the two, as in the case of Lauren Cresowati and her husband. child.
Her work at Client Services includes talking to people over the phone and being able to do so without interruption.
"My space is my work space," said Kresowaty, who lives in a rural area of British Columbia in South Okanagan.
See | Workplace Conversations: Ian Hanomansing is Head of People and Culture at Daily Hive Klaryssa Pangilinan, co-founder and CEO of Willful, explains how the workplace is making the complex decision to return employees to the office.
But even if her children leave home and Kresowaty works from home, the arrangement is still beneficial to her family.
"In the end, I think this flexible or home-based work arrangement will work much better. I think I can stay healthy because it's just less stressful," she says. I did.
It's hard for Hoyland to imagine not being able to work at her home. Similarly, it's hard to understand how an organization can revert to the old way of doing business.
"A coercive company like COVID can now do this. What's happening now is what employees say:
"And it will be very difficult for businesses to get rid of it."
Richardson of Curtin University said, "Employers are {194. } You really really really need to pay attention to how to rewind, "and a strong case of why it is justified, as Hoyland suggests.
McGill's Hewlin at this point makes it clear that " needs to reassess what the job looks like if the organization wants to stay competitive." Said.
If not, she said, "They will lose talented and productive employees."
