With remote work exploding in popularity in the last two years, the entire business model of companies is rapidly changing. This article will go over some of the major trends of 2022 that will define this new world. As we enter a post-Covid world, inflation rates and other unpredictable world events are the new realities businesses have to face. Let’s take a deeper look into the new world of working from home.

Shorter Work Weeks, Reduced Salary Bonuses 

For companies that don’t have vast financial resources, finding and retaining talent while fighting rising inflation poses a serious challenge. It won’t matter if a business offers an additional 2-4% increase in salary if that money doesn’t come with more purchasing power for employees. 

Therefore, some businesses are reducing the number of hours required for employees as a way to attract new talent. The typical cause and effect as an employee’s salary is increased, the number of responsibilities and hours worked also goes up. But leisure time has become a real selling point in today’s professional world, so businesses that don’t have pure spending power are taking advantage of this. 

Flexible Work Spaces, Increased Turnover Rates

The days of the average Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm work schedule is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Employees nowadays want flexibility in when and where they work. In fact, it could be the deciding factor between businesses competing for their talent. There are a couple of reasons why turnover rates will continue to rise. 

The first factor has to do with the social and emotional connections people have with their job. As working from home becomes normalized, peer pressure decreases. In other words, employees who wanted to leave their jobs previously  would be persuaded to stay longer by their co-workers when they were in an office. It’s easier to make that decision if the majority of your time spent at a company is done through your laptop at home. 

Another reason for sustained job turnover rates is that employees can work for a company that is far away from them. Remote work has totally changed people’s minds when it comes to their daily commute. If someone only has to be in an office once or twice a week, they are much more willing to travel greater distances. Companies that were formerly too far away from where they lived now come onto their radar. 

A New Way To Work

The COVID pandemic has fundamentally changed the way we live and how we view our work life. Now that people have gotten a taste of what life is like outside of the office, businesses have to change the lifestyle they offer to employees. The economy is also facing challenges with food shortages and inflation, which means businesses need to be more adaptable than ever. It will be interesting to see how remote work continues to grow in popularity over the next few years.