ARTICLE
COVID-19 and the workplace – will there be return to normality? T
he impact of the pandemic on businesses in the legal sector, as for others, has been massive. Changes required by the existence of the virus have emptied offices and forced home working to become the norm. Even as late as May 2021 with the threat of a third wave the scientific advice was warning against returning to the office and recommending that workers continue to work from home for the foreseeable future. So, what can we learn form the polls, research and offerings of those most closely connected with impact of this pandemic on businesses and staff? There are many informative reports that can offer guidance on how we could deal with the return to normality - if indeed the “old” normality can ever be resumed. A report found that home working negatively affects both earnings and career progression.1 Between 2013 and 2020 people who worked from home were on average 38% less likely to have received a bonus. And analysis showed that between 2012 and 2017 people who mainly worked from home were less than half as likely to be promoted. In a poll taken of more than 2000 adults, 71% were optimistic that the vaccine rollout would enable them to return to their workplace as normal, an increase from 50% three months earlier and a majority (75%) said they would be comfortable taking a covid test before returning to the office.2
Despite the move to remote working, a survey conducted by the ONS between October and December 2020 of nearly 75,000 workers found that there was a decline of all types of flexible hours working such as part time, flexi time and annualised hours. This contrasted with a 100% increase in home working, which doubled between the first quarter of 2020 and the last.3 Around 1 in 5 (21%) adults experienced some form of depression in early 2021 (27 January to 7 March); this is an increase since November 2020 (19%) and more than double that observed before the COVID-19 pandemic (10%). Around 1 in 3 (35%) of adults, who reported being unable to afford an unexpected expense of £850, experienced depressive symptoms in early 2021, compared with 1 in 5 (21%) adults before the pandemic; for adults who were able to afford this expense, rates increased from 5% to 13%.4 This shows that being economically challenged is more likely to cause depression. Mental health has become a much greater issue. Statistics show that the pandemic has had a serious impact on mental health. The Mental health issues that predominate are depression and loneliness. Continued on next page
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