Working from home is the name of the game for most people still able to work right now. Many companies that were reluctant to provide work-from-home flexibility to their employees before the pandemic have been forced into it – for now. But what will happen when we are able to go back into work? And what new mindset will employees bring? Plus, learn the English expression “big picture.”
Also in Today's Lesson
Transcript
A glimpse into the future of the workplace
Lesson summary
Hi everyone, welcome back to Plain English, lesson number 255. I’m Jeff; JR is the producer; and you can find the complete lesson at PlainEnglish.com/255.
How will COVID-19 affect the future of work? On today’s lesson, we’ll indulge in a bit of speculation about how the workplace will change after we all get back to work. The expression is “big picture.” And of course we have a video lesson and the exercises at PlainEnglish.com/255.
The future of work post-COVID
Nobody can know the future; if this year’s pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that. However, that shouldn’t stop us from speculating, right? So herewith is a bit of speculation on the future of the workplace.
First, flexibility. Of course, not everyone has a job that can be done at home. However, many of us have jobs that can be done at least partially at home. But many employers around the world have been reluctant to embrace a work-from-home culture. Bosses have thought, if I can’t see you, how do I know you’re working? The fear of lost productivity and a lack of trust have prevented many companies from embracing any type of remote work.
That’s all out the window. Some companies, of course, had a strong work-from-home culture, so this was nothing new for them. But for many others, this was a whole new thing. And the crisis has forced them to embrace remote work. One boss was skeptical of remote work before COVID and didn’t let anyone work at home. Now that everyone’s working at home, he says, “You can’t put the genie back in the bottle.” That means, there’s no going back to the way it was before.
Now that doesn’t mean everyone goes to a full-time remote work arrangement. But maybe we don’t go back to the full five-day-a-week in the office routine, either. It could be that companies are more flexible about the time you spend in the office versus at home, or the exact hours of the week that you spend working. Imagine deciding to go to the movies in the middle of the afternoon on a weekday. No one would dare. But in the future, we might be a little more relaxed about what exact hours are work hours, if we’ve learned to be flexible.
We will all go back to offices—so what will those look like? In recent years, the office design trend has been to cram more and more people into smaller and smaller spaces. Private offices were knocked down in favor of wide-open spaces, no privacy. It was good for collaboration, they told us; but we knew also knew it was about saving money on office rent. I’m not sure things totally go back the other way, but you might see some more personal dividers, some more space between desks. Hoteling, or as some people call it, hot-desking, may not be quite as popular as people shy away from shared spaces.
We’ve all gotten used to working at home, and having some of the comforts of home available to us during the workday. Might some of that find its way into office design? You might have a casual brainstorming session on a couch, sit with a report at a high-top table as you have breakfast, or—heaven forbid—take your computer outside on a nice day. Enterprising employers might try to bring some comforts of home into the office. There is, we’ve discovered, no law of productivity that says you must be at a boring desk to be working.
Let’s think a little bigger. We’ve done without in person meetings for over a month now. Will people re-think how many of those long and boring meetings were truly necessary? What’s more, we’re now all embracing more video and technology at work. Could we take a meeting—which is what’s called a synchronous communication, meaning that everyone has to be there at the same time—could we take a meeting and turn it into a webinar? Or just an online video? That’s an asynchronous communication; not everyone has to be in the same place at the same time to consume it and get the same benefits.
How many times has a meeting just been one person talking? That’s not a meeting: that’s a seminar. That can be recorded and sent out, even preserved for the future. One of my hopes for the future of work is that we’ll spent less time together in meetings—but the time we do spend together will be necessary and quality time.
Here’s another big picture question. We’re all working at home, independently. We’re making the most of technology. We’re balancing a lot of priorities, more so than before. Is the time right to challenge the idea that every professional must have exactly one job? If you can get a traditional, professional your job done in, say, four days a week, you might be able to work part time somewhere else—dedicate just one day a week, or maybe one week a month, to another job that only needs a little extra work done. Imagine having a primary job that’s 80 percent of your attention and represents your long-term career trajectory, but then having a 20 percent job with another company. That can be your passion project, or a way to exercise some skills that aren’t in demand at your primary employer.
This is a taboo idea these days. Employers say, we want you to bring your whole self and whole attention to work. Employees just go along with it. Part-time work has a stigma to it. I don’t necessarily think it should. There is, again, no law of the universe that says your only contribution to the economy can be with just one employer for one hundred percent of the time.
A lot of people like the safety and security of having a single employer provide a big and regular paycheck. But I also think a lot of people will appreciate the freedom to be free agents—to do an amount of work in one place, and an amount of work in another place. And if the coronavirus shows that it’s possible to work remotely and independently and flexibly, then we might be ready for a revolution in the way we organize our work lives. A generation ago, it was common to work for a single company for your entire career. Today, that seems quaint; we can hardly imagine an arrangement as rigid as that. The next generation may scoff at the notion that you had to do all your work for just one employer at a time.
Transition to a new PlainEnglish.com
The transition to the new web site is well under way—ahem, Lesson 251. It’s well under way because I started a long time ago—back in December, I really got going—and it has really progressed very well. We’re going to have a lot of new features, both on the free side and as part of Plain English Plus+ . New look and feel, new colors. New organization. The changes are all on the web site, by the way—the audio program you’re listening to on Spotify or Apple Podcasts won’t change. But the web site is going to be a great companion to the program. A lot of you are interested in what these changes are going to be, so we set up a landing page for you to get the latest news on that—sneak previews, special offers, things like that. So if you’re interested, come visit us at PlainEnglish.com/new .
(**NOTE: The site you see now is the new site! Welcome!)
¿Hablas español?
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into Spanish. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .
How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
你说中国话？
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Parlez-vous français?
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Você fala português?
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
日本語は話せますか？
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Parli italiano?
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Sprechen Sie Deutsch?
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Sen Türkçe konuşmayı biliyor musun?
The transcripts of Plain English lessons are available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation. Turkish translations are available starting at Lesson 278.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Mówisz po polsku?
The transcript of Plain English lessons are available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation. Polish translations are available starting at Lesson 278.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Audio
The fast version of this lesson is available for subscribers of Plain English Plus+.