In This Issue

President’s Message

By Ed Nakano

Post Pandemic Future of Work

I found several interesting and relevant articles that point out what we as accounting professionals have experienced while working remotely since the pandemic began in March 2020. These articles are “Predicting the Post Pandemic Future of Work” from the Economist, “How COVID-19 Has Us Doing More in Less Time” by Stephanie Vozza from Fast Company, “Lessons COVID-19 Has Taught Us About Remote Work” and “The Post Pandemic Office Dilemma: Who Returns and Who Works from Home” from Fast Company.

“Predicting the Post Pandemic Future of Work” from the Economist - McKinsey Poll of 800 Executives in Nine Major Economies:

1. 85% said their companies were making greater use of technologies such as video conferencing, 50% were using technologies when dealing with customers and 35% applying more computer power to supply chains.

2. In two years, 15% of executives expect to allow a tenth of their employees to work remotely two or more days a week.

3. Remote work could become a way to lower real estate costs and compete for talent.

“How Covid-19 Has Us Doing More In Less Time” from Fast Company- Observations from Prodoscore (Provider of Employee Visibility and Productivity Intelligence Software:

1. Workday hours have shrunk, however employee productivity remained steady and even increased.

2. Workers were getting more done, with the window of greatest productivity from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday was the most productive day of the week, followed by Wednesday and Thursday. Productivity was lowest on Friday. 3. Working hours may have declined, but the Monday through

Friday workweek became a thing of the past as more employees put in time over the weekends. The study found that employees worked 42% more on Saturdays and 24% more on Sundays in 2020 than in 2019.

“Lessons COVID-19 Has Taught Us About Remote Work” from Fast Company

1. Just about every major CEO declared that remote work is the new way of the world, a necessary evil or somewhere in between.

2. Once it is safe to return to work, a report by Manpower

Group indicated that most workers surveyed said they’d prefer working two to three days in an office, and working remotely the rest of the time.

3. A Mercer survey of 800 employees indicated that 94% of them said that their productivity was unaffected or even improved, compared to pre-pandemic levels.

4. Leadership requires articulating clear goals and values and setting an example about how remote work should look. These are investments required for remote work to succeed. Frequent check-ins and micromanagement were discouraged. Instead, leaders should prioritize results over hours logged.

5. One of the biggest perks touted by remote work is the flexibility it provides. Working at home provided convenience and flexibility benefits (sick, child care, home and personal appointments, etc.).

6. The biggest challenge working remotely is with parents who have children, especially with women, who juggle between full time work and remote learning. This has affected their continued employment.

“The Post Pandemic Office Dilemma: Who Returns and Who Works from Home?” from Fast Company