Changing Workplace Culture and Workforce Behaviour

A Comment from our Chairman- Rohit Patni:

With all the unusual changes and at times, confusing political messages, I thought I’d share a few personal views and experiences I’ve had during these (as so often used) unprecedented times.  

Covid-19 has undoubtedly had a polarising effect, both in the workplace and within the health and social care system. From the outset of UK lockdown in March 2020, CEOs and HR teams have clambered to support their employees as it became essential to adapt to the new norms of working from home. In fact, I’m of the opinion, there is no new norm, things change day by day.

Subsequently, when the virus was seemingly under control, the nation was encouraged to ‘return to work’. However, as we now enter into a new phase of the pandemic we are, once again, being told to ‘work from home if you can’. The unprecedented nature of the pandemic has left everyone with overarching feelings of confusion and uncertainty. Corporate cultural shifts in the way that we work have led to an array of circumstantial and therefore, behavioural changes in the workforce which are, for many, very difficult to adjust to.

Prior to the Covid outbreak there were 9 million informal carers – those forced to juggle work obligations with caring for a loved one (without pay). Today, there are over 13.5 million informal carers facing the immeasurable mental and emotional strains caused by this accumulation of responsibility. To make matters worse, Covid-19’s impact on the social care industry has been a severe one. The need for social care services is growing yet funding is still scarce, leaving informal carers with amplified pressures. 

Providing support in this time is vital, not only for employee wellbeing, but overall workforce productivity. It is imperative that leaders take the necessary measures to support their employees. Notably they must support working informal carers by leveraging new technologies that improve ways of working in order to aid their workers to overcome these intense pressures.