Q2 2020 changed the way people work. Possibly forever. Thanks to COVID-19, more workers than ever have been waking up, grabbing their coffee and enjoying an easy commute to another room in their house. Work from anywhere has been the norm.
Now, some have already returned or are returning to the traditional office. Others are remaining home for a bit longer, if not permanently.
How can those working remotely continue to feel connected with their colleagues back at the office? Are they feeling excluded from key HQ happenings? Do they struggle with unreliable connections to a virtual private network?
If your remote team is feeling disenfranchised now that some coworkers are back at the office, it might be time to rethink how they stay in touch with your teams and customers. Doing so will improve how your organization works in the cloud.
Remote Working is on the Rise
Back in 2016, 43 percent of U.S. employees worked remotely in some capacity, up 4 percent from 2012, according to a Gallup survey. This upswing touched all industries and was already continuing to climb before quarantine measures.
Gallup revisited the remote working trend between March and May 2020. In March, the combined number of people working “sometimes” or “always” from home due to coronavirus concerns was 59% of those surveyed. It hit a high in April of 70% and leveled out to 68% in May.
Gallup also interviewed workers about their preference of returning to the office or remaining remote. About half of those surveyed indicated they want to continue working remotely. Twenty-two percent said they would rather work from home permanently because they enjoy it, while 27 percent enjoy it and have coronavirus concerns, as well. The landscape and comfort level with remote work has changed faster than expected.
