Return to work | Should HR consider changing work schedules?

As the COVID-19 pandemic has progressed, it has become apparent to all businesses that whilst the virus itself may be in a period of remission, the lasting effects of its influence on the world of work will be keenly felt indefinitely.

HR and other senior leaders have been forced to challenge their preconceived conceptions about how they address working life, and quickly find alternative routes to business success to continue operating in challenging climates.

And whilst many businesses have struggled with the overall adaptation to the ‘new normal’ - leading to widespread job cuts and redundancies across industries that rely on physical retail and footfall such as restaurants, shops, hairdressers and cinemas - others have found that the motivation to adapt has bred change that has positively impacted the business and its employees.

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Return to work | 'Reluctant returners': Managing absence post-lockdown

The most common of these swift changes is the move to remote working. In March 2020, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed that those working in physical offices would have to work remotely as the country ‘locked down’. As a result, many bosses who had previously disregarded remote working as ineffective were forced to trial the concept or be left without a functioning workforce.