As much as COVID has shaken up corporate operations, the post-pandemic landscape may be even more challenging as some workers are impatient to return to their old workplaces (and a sense of normalcy) while others have adapted to (and prefer) working from home. Months of positive pandemic news, especially with the acceleration of vaccine distribution, have highlighted a general feeling that a return to a new normal is forthcoming.

A recent survey found that demand for office space isn’t exactly skyrocketing in anticipation of a return to work, but at least it is not now plummeting in correlation with the rise in COVID cases. There are people clamoring to get back to the office hoping for productivity gains and social interaction. But planning a return involves security & safety protocols, figuring out vaccination mandates and fitting remote workers into a different corporate structure.

Entire new industries may be created around safely operating offices, from maintaining safe work stations to setting up alternate days when teams will be in to hub-&-spoke models to space teams apart. No one seems to feel that the old 5-day-a-week, in-your-seat-at-9am schedule is going to work anymore.

There appears to be a hesitancy to make long-term decisions at this point. After a year of remote working that some hate and some love, it will take time to determine the best mix for workers and their employers. A gradual return transition seems to make the most sense, and that may take even longer than COVID has been around.

Based on this, the ability to work from home, especially in our beautiful foothills community, will likely remain an attractive option for current homeowners and prospective new residents for some time to come.