Remote Work Expected to Persist in the Aftermath of the Pandemic

Remote work is here to stay with 33% of the American workforce continuing remote work, while another third has returned to work at the office.

Gallup poll, Oct 23, 2020

Gallup has been tracking remote work by Americans over the course of the year through various polls and surveys. Their data reveals that many Americans have returned to working in the office or on site since September. Many are unconquered about exposure to COVID-19. Concern has gone down due to extensive cleaning measures in place, social distancing and the use of personal protective equipment.

Many workers want to continue to work remotely. In some companies, this is possible for services such as customer service that can be done remotely.

A few large employers like Google have taken the pre-emptive measure of working remotely through mid 2021, according to the WSJ. This affects the roughly 200,000 employees and contract workers at the company.

Remote Work to Persist In the Aftermath of the Pandemic

Remote work is most likely here to stay for the well educated, well paid workforce that can operate digitally. This change may also become permanent on some level for some companies where certain roles can be done remotely and in other cases, a hybrid of working at home and in office/on site. Some companies are considering a hybrid of remote and on-site with on-site work for three consecutive days and remote work for two days. Others are considering a shift to a four-day work model entirely. For companies that offer extensive customer service support on the phone and by email, working remotely can be very suitable. This can also cut down on office costs. Remote work for workers that work online is more feasible than for those with physical hands-on jobs on site.

The downsides of a more remote work force can be fewer face to face interactions, and less of a community. Some companies like Netflix are eager to return to full time work on site. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has said that working from home does not have any positive effects and makes debating ideas harder. At the same time, the company’s 8,600 employees do not have to return to the office until most of them had received an approved coronavirus vaccine. Vaccines by Moderna and Pfizer are now seeking FDA approval and will become available shortly to the general public.

Despite the return to office with the city’s approval, New York’s famously vibrant Manhattan is still operating at low capacity with many office buildings unoccupied and workers reluctant to come back in. Businesses that need employees on site from factories to restaurants and salons have struggled with changing demand and risks of outbreaks even with plexiglass barriers and other protections in place.

Covid-19 Pandemic Accelerates American Adoption of Digital Commerce

From ordering groceries to buying cars online, more Americans are adopting digital commerce today than before — a change that will probably outlast the pandemic and become permanent

Image via WSJ, Source: Commerce Department via St. Louis Fed

With lockdowns, social distancing and other effects of the pandemic, more and more American consumers are turning to digital commerce to meet many day to day needs, from online grocery shopping to even medical appointments and classes. Pickup and delivery options are becoming more widespread. This shift may soon become permanent as many Americans find the shift online to be more convenient and less stressful. Avoiding rush-hour traffic to pick up groceries by having them delivered is an example of this.

Shifts from in-person to digital commerce are evident in:

• grocery purchasing

• movie streaming

• restaurant pick up and delivery

• curbside pickup

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How Companies Are Adapting

Image via WSJ, Source: Euromonitor International's Voice of the Industry: Retailing Survey, August 2020

E-commerce now makes up 43 percent of all sales at Macy’s Inc., up from 25 percent before the pandemic. The company is working with Google Inc. to improve upon its search engine results. Macy’s has even added same-day delivery for some online orders.

In September, Whole Foods Market Inc., owned by Amazon.com Inc., opened its first online-only store in Brooklyn, N.Y., to be able to offer more food delivery options. Whole Foods has made pickup an option for all 500 U.S. stores. Amazon Fresh, the grocery store arm of Amazon, has increased delivery by 160 percent since March.

In addition, contactless payment methods have increased, removing the need for swiping or inserting a physical credit card. Both Visa and MasterCard report increased global sales transactions by contactless options. For Mastercard, contactless payment went up from 30 percent last year to 41 percent in the third quarter of this year.

Changes have also been widespread as social distancing measures have resulted in lower gym attendance and a move to home workouts. There has been an increase in purchasing equipment for workouts from stationary bikes to treadmills and more, as well as taking courses and using apps for online courses and bootcamps.

Many of these changes will remain in effect after the pandemic ends, as they have brought convenience that has led to accelerated adoption.

Apple Launches New COVID-19 App & Website Section With CDC

Learn how to recognize symptoms and what steps to take next.

Image via Apple

Apple has launched a new section on its site to help evaluate symptoms of COVID-19 and to understand what to do next, in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC.) Visit www.apple.com/covid19/

Image via Apple

There’s also a COVID-19 app available on the App Store for download.

Image via Apple

You can also ask Siri questions about coronavirus symptoms.

Apple’s Siri COVID-19 Questionnaire. Image via Apple

Apple is also donating over 9 million masks pulled from its supply chain and closed its own Apple retail stores everywhere except in China where the threat of COVID-19 has abated in its ongoing efforts to combat the coronavirus.