Like other countries, the work situation in Australia is changing depending on the latest lockdown restrictions. For instance, at present, public health directions are restricting some business operations in Victoria, and some other states and territories. Generally speaking, new measures put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in Australia’s workforce working under new rules and guidance at physical workplaces and working from home much more. Let’s take a closer look at how Australians have adapted to this so-called New Normal.
For workers who have returned to the workplace or are due to return soon, the Australian government has introduced 10 National COVID-19 Safe Work Principles. Those principles help businesses to manage their workplaces as employees return. That means businesses are required to assess the way their employees work to understand and quantify the risk level and implement control measures to address those risks. Standard new measures of the New Normal are to socially distance, maintain good hygiene, and wear protective face masks.
More and more Australians have been working from home. And many will continue to do so even after lockdown restrictions have been eased. It can take time to adjust to working from home just as much as it can take time to adjust to the New Normal of the workplace. So, it is essential that employees remain motivated while working remotely. One way to keep employees motivated at home is to provide them with subscription services. For example, a snack subscription service ensures employees receive healthy and tasty snacks to keep them alert and focused whilst working. There are plenty of other services that can help employees to stay motivated and productive. For instance, they could subscribe to an online pilates class or receive an at-home facial from a beauty company.
It seems that many Australians are enjoying working from home and seeing better results compared to working in a brick-and-mortar workplace. Research from Citrix from earlier in the year found that two-thirds of workers in Australia were able to maintain or improve their productivity while working at home. The survey also showed 78% believe remote working will become more common after the crisis has been resolved, and that 32% of those surveyed were able to better concentrate from home due to having fewer distractions from work colleagues.
The same survey found that adapting to working from home can be difficult for many employees. For instance, 38% of home-workers surveyed said they now worked even longer hours than at the office. Furthermore, only 54% said they were working in a dedicated home office space. That is something for businesses to keep an eye on, as it is known that productivity can decrease when employees are not working from designated workspaces. The survey found 31% were working from the kitchen or dining table, and 11% were working in their bedrooms.
Many Australian businesses are adapting to the New Normal brought about by the coronavirus by implementing new ways of conducting their business. For instance, dance studios are streaming their classes online, hairdressers have switched from drop-ins to booked appointments, and a bookshop in Yarraville is now delivering books by bicycle,