Work-from-home jobs have allowed millions of Canadians to continue working through the pandemic.
How long can workers expect this work-from-home dynamic to last in the months to come?
If you are not currently working, should you be looking for a job that is work-from-home?
Both are very important questions. Let’s take a look at the numbers first. Before the COVID-19 pandemic occurred, there were already 1.9 million Canadians working from home. Consider another 4.7 million Canadians have been put on work-from-home employment in response to the COVID-19 shutdown since mid-March.
That’s a lot of people with work-from-home offices. In fact, that’s about 40 percent of the workforce.
The vast majority of employers and employees expect the work-from-home trend to continue beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. ‘Why’ has to do with many reasons. Work-from-home employees are generally happier. Some are more productive than they would be in an office environment as well.
We have the infrastructure now to work from home. Chat and video conferencing make it convenient. Business travel and commuting can be replaced with video or teleconferencing.
From an employer’s perspective, work-from-home allows them to practice social distancing. Sectors like finance, administration, customer service, and even management might expect continuing to work from home for the foreseeable future.
The impact of COVID-19 is tough to measure but what’s certain is that year-over-year work-from-home were already on the rise. That trend is only expected to continue now that a lot of the workforce has been mandated into such positions.
If you’re looking for a work-from-home job or suspect you might be stuck at home for the foreseeable future, attempting to have a home office at the kitchen table isn’t the most productive setting.
Do it right. Minimize distractions. Choose an area you can call your own. Some home office essentials to pick up might include ergonomic desks, over-the-ear headphones to drown out outside sounds, a computer monitor and mount, USB cables, and more.
As a lot of us continue to rely on work-from-home employment, having our own private home offices will be key to working comfortably. Even after the guidelines on work begin to relax, it’s probably a ‘new normal’ that work-from-home positions are going to be pretty normal to everyday companies ranging from call centre work to insurance and finance.
Get all your COVID-19 work-from-home essentials from PrimeCables. When you need us, we’re here. Canadians working from home should have what they need to do so comfortably and productively.
Featured photo by bongkarn thanyakij from Pexels