I’ve noted several times over recent weeks how Covid-19 has tested the retail (and wider) workforce like never before.
The pressure of achieving a work/life balance while working remotely has been a particular challenge for those accustomed to being in an office environment.
Paradoxically, we’ve never been so connected as a workforce yet never so far apart. Tools such as Zoom, Teams and Facetime were familiar to many of us before lockdown but have become integral to the way we work since the coronavirus swept into the UK.
Their value in helping businesses continue to function should not be underestimated, but nor should the risks they pose to employee wellbeing. At a time of job insecurity, being contactable but not visible can be a dangerous mix that allows the concept of ‘presenteeism’ – the desire to be seen to be working even outside of regular hours – to creep into our lives.
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