As organizations are now thinking about returning to the workplace, leaders need to make deliberate efforts to encourage positive social interaction amongst teams, while rethinking how the office fits into their business.

COVID-19 forced many of us to work remotely and as lockdown conditions continued, work-life balance eroded. We at Friday Pulse have always passionate about improving the world of work and, today, we’re practising what we preach by focusing on our own wellbeing – and moving to a four-day workweek.

90% of executives believe that COVID-19 has changed how their businesses will operate across the next five years. Companies are now looking for innovative solutions to survive. But innovation can’t come from nowhere — it must be fostered in positive environments. And, if you innovate the way you take care of your people, innovation and creativity will follow.

Companies who haven’t recovered well during the pandemic could now be forced to make difficult decisions to survive. No decision is more gut-wrenching and threatening to workplace culture than the decision to let people go, and the current pandemic has caused some companies to approach layoffs in wrong ways. But, what can we learn from those organizations that get it right?

In January, we shared what we thought would be the top workplace culture trends for 2020. However, a lot has happened since then!

There’s now uncertainty in organizations as to the shape of things to come, especially as the world comes out of lockdown. So, how did our predictions hold up? And, what does our analysis tell us about the next six months?

Workplaces are now very different places. Business have to be sensitive to the way their employees frame risk as they make decisions on how quickly they open. By looking at your employees through The Five Ways to Happiness at Work, you can empower your people during this time of increased and continued anxiety.