Repost: Preparing for the Short and Near-Term Future of Work | Deloitte Development

As concerns over the Omicron variant grow, many company executives are asking: 1) Do we stay the course with office reopening plans or push back timelines again? 2) Do we alter our protocol for when workers are together in person? And while most firms appear to be taking a wait-and-see stance as new information develops, a few have made adjustments. Google announced that it would not be requiring its employees to return to the office on January 10 as it expected. The Hartford is delaying plans for the company’s senior leaders to return to the office on December 6 but still plans to return workers to the office on January 18. Hyundai Motor Group has introduced new office rules, one of which is reducing the maximum number of people allowed for meetings and seminars from 50 to 30 people. It also has closed office lounge areas and is expanding work-from-home arrangements. Apple CEO Tim Cook announced that “the company’s physical schedule would be pushed back until February, with employees only having to come in once or twice a week for the first month.” As firms continue to evaluate short and long-term workforce strategies and tactics, I am resharing this 30-page checklist by Deloitte that includes questions firms should answer related to work, the workforce, and the workplace. Also, here is my list (pre-omicron) of how 149 firms were approaching their return-to-office plans. Both resources can provide ideas as firms make workplace decisions.