4 ways Covid-19 will redefine the way we work

Reuters

Covid-19 has changed the way the world operated; everything has slowly shifted online especially our working. Companies like Google, Twitter and Facebook have all permanently embraced telecommuting.

This sudden shift in work environment and policy could have a robust impact on the economy and career choices of individuals, reports World Economic Forum. Here are four things that will change the way we work by 2025:

“Remotopia”: work from home - from the margins to the mainstream

Before the world was infected by Covid-19 less than 5% of workers did their work remotely. Now a majority of people are working from home, reports WeForum.org.

Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter, PayPal are some of the high profile companies that have announced long-term or permanent remote work policies.

Since remote working has become the new norm, companies are looking for individuals that have better soft skills such as communication, reliability, empathy, and flexibility. Underrepresented populations like disabled or chronically ill workers have a greater chance of being recruited.

According to a study, 98% of people said they would like the option to work remotely for the rest of their careers, however; the real catch is that workers find it difficult to 'unplug' from work.

Companies are also finding work from the home extremely cost-effective report suggests that employers can save up to $11,000 per worker. Remote employees tend to put in more working hours and are more productive at home than in-office which has led to workers feeling extremely burn out.

The new jobs

The world has shifted its focus on climate change and major automakers such as Porsche, BMW, Audi, Hyundai, Toyota and many more are launching electric vehicles which may cause a price parity with internal combustion engine vehicles by 2024.

Carmakers have been pushing electric cars ever since European lawmakers in December 2018 ordered a cut in carbon dioxide emissions from cars by 37.5% by 2030 compared with 2021 levels.

Amazon has ordered 1,800 electric vans from Mercedes-Benz for its European delivery fleet, as part of the online retailer's plans to run a carbon-neutral business by 2040

This has given rise to “green-collar” jobs however, many workers might lose their jobs by new policies around industrial carbon cuts or automation.

Green collar jobs will range from solar installation technicians to ESG Directors that manage an organisation’s overall portfolio of climate change reduction efforts.

The gig economy evolution

“The next COO at your company will work remotely, stay with the company for six months, and never even get a company email account. But they will be the best hire you’ve ever made,” predicts Weforum.

Gig workers are independent contractors who perform on-demand services, including as drivers, delivering groceries, or providing childcare - and are one-third more likely to be from the minority population, according to a 2018 Edison Research poll.

On-demand labor platforms like TaskRabbit and Uber have helped normalise the gig economy, and now post covid-19 freelancing of white-collar jobs like marketing, management, engineering - and even finance has emerged.

Upwork, We Are Rosie, and Guru provides marketplaces for these professional services, and with the help of video-conferencing sites such as zoom and Slack these professionals can offer their service to anyone around the world.

Freelancing has emerged as an easy way to offer your professional service as it provides the freedom to workers who want flexible and remote work arrangements.

Automation and AI augment the workforce

Even though human creativity cannot be replaced by computers and software, the rapid increase in artificial intelligence will be eliminating jobs.

With pandemic-induced lockdowns cutting off supplies of critical raw materials and components, and social distancing guidelines increasing the cost of manual labor, business is booming at companies like riskmethods that offer digital tools to help map out supply-chain risks, run factories, and even forecast demand.

However, the demand for drivers in the trucking industry continues to grow the development of autonomous vehicles is more likely to improve working conditions and safety with sensors that predict weather patterns and other drivers’ behavior.