Bruce's Blog

September 1^st, 2021

During the first phase of the COVID pandemic we spent a lot of time inventing some new ways to do business to accommodate the need for social distancing. We also spoke very often about the importance of essential workers. We lauded people like medical personnel and shopkeepers and sanitation workers and housekeepers. Many of us have learned to use ZOOM and a variety of other tools to make it possible for us to meet “face-to-face“ with people without being in proximity to them.

It seemed a few weeks ago that we were beginning to see some light at the end of the tunnel. Now with the Delta variant and rising case counts and hospitalizations we are having a serious setback. Even when this spike passes (maybe mid-October?), even with safe and effective vaccinations and now an approved booster shot some people have begun to talk about “going back to normal.” What’s “normal”? I think that we’ve already learned some things through this ordeal that will change for the better what we think of as normal ways to work.

During this month of the Labor Day holiday festivities I’d like to offer a few things regarding the workplace that may be changed for the better now and for the long-haul.

• Know who essential workers are and pay them accordingly.(UCOM finally took the plunge and raised our minimum wage to $15 an hour earlier this year.)
• Use deliverables rather than hours to measure work performance.
• Make flexible hours and remote work the norm for as many workers as we can.
• Let employees choose the work environment that suits them (remote, in-person, hybrid) as long as their work is accomplished.
• Utilize virtual platforms as an option to facilitate meetings and eliminate travel time.

What do you think of these possibilities as a better way of doing our work? Do you have other suggestions? I’d love to hear them.

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