The Post-Pandemic Age: 5 Ways Company Culture is Changing Forever – When the world became more familiar with COVID-19 back in 2020, few many have understood just how impactful the virus would be. It’s probably fair to say that COVID-19 has changed the world in unimaginable ways. After taking the lives of millions of people and making millions more sick, the virus has left many of us stunned by just how much our lives have changed.

And it’s not just individuals who find themselves affected as a result of the pandemic; some companies have changed the way they do business. Here are a few ways the coronavirus has changed how businesses operate.

More Online Services

Scientists have found that one of the best ways to prevent the spread of the coronavirus is to limit the amount of contact humans have with each other. As a result, many companies have begun to offer more online services. Online services were starting to grow even before the pandemic hit, but it seems that the arrival of COVID-19 has ramped up efforts.

A good example is the move that some doctors and insurance companies are making to telehealth or telemedicine. Before the pandemic, telemedicine was viewed as sort of a novelty by many, but during the height of the pandemic, it became a necessity. Today, some health care providers are making telemedicine a normal part of their health care offerings.

More Online Workers

Another change that companies have made in light of the pandemic is the move toward online work or telecommuting. Before the pandemic, telecommuting was something seen as a luxury for the few workers who, for whatever reason, couldn’t make it into the office. And now people are demanding to be able to work from home because it gives them a better work-life balance.

The interesting thing is that some companies have discovered that worker productivity increases when employees are allowed to work from home. In addition, the cost savings that result from not having to rent out office space helps the company’s bottom line. Although some companies need on-site workers, others are finding that allowing employees to work from home or split their time between home and the office works out better for everyone involved.

Renting Instead of Buying

Renting equipment and vehicles is something that companies did before the arrival of the pandemic. But just as we’ve seen in other areas related to how companies operate, the pandemic seems to have increased the practice. The pandemic brought about unpredictability in the workplace. Companies weren’t sure about how to manage day-to-day operations due to lockdowns and closures.

As a result, more companies began to see the practicality of simply renting equipment and vehicles over buying them. Even before the pandemic, construction companies and contractors had caught on to the practicality of renting vehicles for projects. But during and after the height of the pandemic, more contractors began to see the value in renting over buying.

Masks and Cleaning Protocols

Before the pandemic, big box stores and other businesses that saw a lot of customer foot traffic may have been lax when it came to their cleaning and sanitation procedures. But the pandemic seemed to light a fire under companies that know many people will be in contact with each other in their stores. Some companies continued to be vigilant about sanitation efforts even after the height of the pandemic.

At the beginning of the pandemic, stores and other businesses enacted mask requirements for employees and customers, some because of state and local mandates. Since then, many state governments have eased mask requirements. Whereas some businesses continue to require employees and/or customers to wear masks, others have made masks optional.

Greater Focus on Health and Wellness

It seems that the COVID-19 pandemic has also caused companies to put a greater emphasis on their employees’ health and wellness. Some companies have encouraged their employees to be vaccinated, while others don’t feel that’s their place. Some companies have even gone as far as to mandate that their employees be vaccinated against COVID-19. There are also potential federal mandates requiring certain employees to be vaccinated.

Companies have also taken a more holistic approach to their employees’ health and wellness in general as a result of the pandemic. More companies are encouraging their employees to go for wellness checkups, eat better, and exercise more. They’re also encouraging employees to stay home if they aren’t feeling well and to get tested for COVID.

COVID-19 has thrown the whole world for a loop. As a result of the virus, there have been many changes not only in our personal lives but in our professional lives. More companies are making it possible for services to be performed online. And they’re making it easier for their employees to work from home. In addition, companies are choosing to rent equipment more often, enacting stricter cleaning protocols, and focusing more on their employees’ health. Only time will tell whether these changes are here to stay.