The Effects Of COVID-19 On Corporate Work Culture

When the pandemic initially started, most people could no longer work from their offices and were not sure how they were going to move ahead. The Government began locking down the country, and borders shut. Soon after they put a stop to personal meetings and companies had no choice but to force their staff to work from home as they could no longer meet in the same numbers at the office. When a large number of people started working from home, there was a massive requirement for better connectivity and improved personal internet services. It did not seem like companies were opening their doors anytime soon, and most of them had no choice but to continue working remotely, following the rules put down by the Government.

The biggest challenge the world is facing at this time is to stop the spread of the Coronavirus and develop the vaccine for COVID-19. However, businesses worldwide have been impacted by this pandemic and are trying to figure out what the world will look like post-pandemic. Many large companies expect that it could take between three and six months at the earlier to get business back to normal once the issues end, and according to forecasts, it only looks like that would happen toward the end of 2021.

As a company, we went through a lot of changes and did not have a choice. We had to restructure as a company and find efficient ways of communicating internally. COVID-19 has disrupted businesses worldwide with major affected areas like the auto industry, aviation, hospitality, and banking. Information Technology has not been an exception, and while it falls under essential service, it helped thousands of businesses manage their workforce working remotely from home. Video conferencing, remote VPN and virtual meetings, which were once thought of as services for big corporations only have become essential business tools.

For the most part, we are working remotely through video conferencing apps like Zoom, MS teams. However, a large part of the work we handle is more hands-on we have to get through that in-person. Additionally, for many employees, remote working seems like a dream come true, especially if they are fed-up with their morning routines, commute times, food preparation, etc. but can pose their own set of challenges.

People used to working in teams and meeting people are not sure how they are going to keep up. Issues like loneliness, time management problems, and digital miscommunication are just some of the concerns many are facing as they are working from home or have another remote arrangement. The main challenge is that most people are not used to the change and how they are going to keep up with it.

On the off chance that we get to the office, we follow all the guidelines put forth by our building management, and we ask the people visiting us to follow them as well.

• We cannot have more than two people in the elevator at once.
• In a private office, no more than one person and in the kitchen no more than four people at once.
• Apart from that, we follow social distancing and placed 6 feet apart stickers all over the office.

We disinfect all the common areas every 30 minutes and disinfect the elevator every 15 minutes. We also disinfect the private offices and boardrooms four times a day, and no more than four people are allowed in meeting rooms to make sure everyone, whether working with us or visiting us, are all safe.

We have made a few changes to the number of hours that we spend working. The primary reason for this is the COVID-19 protocols that are in place. We limited out the visiting hours for clients, suppliers, or vendors from 10:00 am to 03:00 pm, which we reduced from the long hours that we spent previously.

Overall, we prefer online virtual meetings, but if the nature of the project demands us to be onsite, we follow all guidelines from local authorities and follow policies already in place by building management. All our technicians and project managers carry their Safety and PPE kits. On the days that we do not have to meet in person, we use Zoom or MS Teams for virtual meetings with clients and suppliers or vendors. We are using Microsoft Sharepoint and Teams to collaborate on projects with stakeholders and to share the information securely. Furthermore, we are open to taking part in virtual public events and Business Expos.

A crisis like this brings new opportunities and should be a trigger to explore new directions. A recent study shows that sustaining innovations developed during a crisis often yields a positive impact in the long run as opposed to organizations that cut back innovation budgets.

If you are looking for a Network Cabling Company in Toronto, get in touch with us at ExcelLinx Communications. We have a decade and a half of cabling and wireless marketplace experience and are open to working to meet the requirements of our clients. We also focus on getting work done on time and within a budget. We have clients all over Canada and are always open to expanding to a newer place, so whether you’re building at a new location or want to upgrade your existing infrastructure, we are the right fit for you. If you are looking for a better understanding of the service we provide, click here. If you would like a quotation from us, or you want to get in touch so we can assist with setting something up, please click here.