The Painful Lesson COVID-19 Dealt Businesses

Photo by Christina Morillo from Pexels

The COVID-19 pandemic caught us all by surprise. Nobody knew how serious the situation was until we were all embroiled in it. Never, in our lifetime has such a disease spread this rapidly and inflicted so much misery and suffering upon a population. Left in its wake are societies and healthcare systems that are overwhelmed with sick and dying patients.

The last time that the world had to deal with such a problem was in 1918, during the Spanish Flu pandemic. And after the dust had settled, the death toll amounted to millions. Keep in mind that back then, people lacked the ability to be anywhere in the world in just a matter of hours. COVID-19, didn’t have such a barrier to traverse, which made its effects all the more deadly.

Governments all over the world have been forced to initiate some form of lockdown to mitigate the spread of this virus. Many businesses were caught off guard by this, and only given a few days or a week’s notice to prepare for any an all eventualities. It was at this moment that it dawned on most of us that the rigid corporate system of today, is heavily flawed.

Photo by Daria Shevtsova from Pexels

Most companies issue their employees desktop computers instead of laptops. Board or meeting rooms are the preferred venues for brainstorming sessions and discussions. This is precisely why, the lockdown, has forced the most unfortunate of them, to lay off much of their workforce. Their businesses simply aren’t built to function without the physical presence of their staffers.

But that doesn’t have to be the case, because technology has advanced to a point where businesses should be able to weather a crisis like COVID-19 provided that measures are taken to safeguard company data. They need to embrace the digital age and learn to place more emphasis on cloud computing and choose to be less reliant on rigid brick and mortar setups.

Flexibility in the workplace is essential to ensure sustainability during times of crisis. This provides a sense of stability for the rank and file to go about their daily work, unhindered. The unwillingness of corporations to adapt to the changing times is the precise reason why we are having this discussion. Change won’t be easy, but it’s what’s needed for the economy to recover.

Photo Credit:
Photo by Christina Morillo from Pexels
Photo by Daria Shevtsova from Pexels