The recent lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have caused multiple businesses to change their usual methods of operating. The workforce was the major factor that suffered due to the sudden changes. People had to learn how to work remotely even without having any prior experience besides working from offices. Such quick reforms have not been priorly experienced, which is the first significant downside. Employees did not know how to approach the new system since they had never met such challenges before. The complete lack of skills and knowledge has a negative connotation in terms of work efficiency. Several factors impacted this, such as technical inability to do the same amount of work, the unfamiliar environment, a lack of the necessary measures to ensure high productiveness, etc.
It is also essential to mention that the workforce was subjected to mental health problems due to working from home. According to researchers, the feelings of isolation and the inability to socialize with colleagues were among the vital issues for individuals who had to switch to telecommuting (Kaushik & Guleria, 2020). Such physiological implications often correlate with lower levels of job satisfaction, low morale, and a lack of motivation. All these outcomes have adverse effects on the workforce and organizations as a whole since employees who are not motivated do not perform as well as they can.
Another negative outcome of the lockdown and remote working is the inability to have a well-balanced work/home differentiation. When employees have to combine their jobs and personal lives, it may induce a sense of stagnancy and confusion. On the one hand, some people could not focus on professional tasks due to constant interruptions. On the other hand, individuals could not build a schedule and work overtime without realizing they do so. The blurred lines affected employees on multiple levels and created a confusing situation.
References
Kaushik, M., & Guleria, N. (2020). The impact of pandemic COVID -19 in workplace. European Journal of Business and Management, 12(15), 9–18.