Halifax HR expert expects working from home to become ‘permanent’

Gerald Walsh says working from home has become the new normal for lots of workers

CITYnews halifax \ Chris Stoodley

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A Halifax human resources expert believes working from home will become a permanent change for many employees, even once the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.

“Working from home has become the new norm, the new normal, for so many people,” human resources specialist Gerald Walsh said. “I try to look at it from the employee’s perspective as well as the employer’s perspective.”

Walsh, who’s the founder and president of Gerald Walsh Associates, told CityNews Halifax his company’s research finds people generally enjoy working from home because of the increased flexibility in their lives.

“It’s true that some still miss the camaraderie of the workplace and the need to connect with people, as well, ” he said. “By and large, it’s creating this cultural flexibility for individuals that didn’t enjoy if they had to go to the workplace.”

A 2015 study shows working from home has positive impacts. Does Working from Home Work? showed home working led to a 13 per cent performance increase, where 9 per cent was from working more minutes per shift due to fewer shifts and sick days.

Those home workers also reported improved work satisfaction and their attrition rate was halved.

But from the employer’s perspective, Walsh said remote work has introduced “a lot of other challenges,” adding that many people thought the COVID-19 pandemic would only last a few weeks in 2020.

With many workplaces forced to work from home, managers now have to lead teams they physically can’t see.

However, remote work also allows many companies to cut their office costs and reduce their footprint. For instance, some workplaces may only have part of its team working in-office and the other part working remotely. Other workplaces, such as Canadian news outlets, have gone entirely virtual.

“It’s changed a lot for everybody without a doubt,” Walsh said. “It’s seeming more and more like these are going to be permanent structural changes in the way we work because it does bring many advantages.”

For many workers, it’s also likely a change in how much interaction they get with other people. Walsh said he’ll often bring a laptop to a coffee shop and work from there for a few hours. He also makes more of an effort in inviting people out for meals.

However, he recognizes working from home is likely a perfect set-up for people who are more introverted.

“Literally, you could spend all day long cooped up in your own home with no human contact,” he said. “It’s kind of based on your own personality.”