Coronavirus: Could working from home be the new normal? Manitoba experts weigh in

Working from home has been a necessity for many as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but two Manitoba business experts say some home offices could be here to stay.

Chuck Davidson, Manitoba Chambers of Commerce president and CEO, is anticipating many businesses to continue the social distancing even after it’s no longer required for public health reasons.

“Some organizations are not going to need as large of a footprint,” Davidson said.

When it comes to in-person business meetings, Davidson believes that will continue to a certain extent, but virtual meetings will become more popular.

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“I think more and more people are going to make a decision that they can have a quick Zoom call or a video conference call and get just as much done rather than spending potentially a day of travel whether it’s by airline or by car,” he said.

Working from home also provides greater flexibility for employees, Davidson said.

Dr. Sylvie Albert, a business and administration professor at the University of Winnipeg, said there has already been an argument for having employees work from home but there is a reason it hasn’t taken off.

“It’s been a cultural problem,” Albert said.

“Managers have difficulty figuring out how they’re going to manage people at a distance and people working at a distance are concerned that if they work too much at a distance they may lose some career opportunities because they’re not networking the same way they would be.”

She does, however, believe there will be an increase in staff working from home in the post-pandemic world because people will be more comfortable after having already tried it.

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Not to mention, she thinks it’ a good move.

“When we talk about population growth in cities … think in terms of what that creates in traffic, congestion,” she said. “There is an environmental footprint that is quite significant.”

Albert said there are, of course, pros and cons to both sides of the working from home debate, but said if companies want to make the permanent switch, now is a good time to stick to it.