Going back to the office will not be as straightforward as it might seem to most. It will not be as simple as getting in your car or riding the bus/train and head straight into the doors and sit at your desk.
Companies will be doing a lot of deep thinking, checking with the government and regulators and evaluating the current and future needs of an actual physical space. Cost will certainly be a key factor but it will not be the only only one.
Working from home has been proven to work for a lot of companies and roles that most people previously thought was impossible or really hard to make happen. This is applicable to both the company that we work for and our customers, partners, suppliers and other third parties that we work with and would normally have meetings at our office, theirs or somewhere in between.
Health regulations will also be a key factor as implementing even the most basic requirement for temperature taking, minimum space between employees, maximum number of people at the office and rapid test will already take a big toll on the pockets for companies.
The central business district or usual office is will really change for everyone, some might totally go virtual while some might keep a smaller footprint. Some industries definitely will still need actual office space and large ones at that, but for some it will be somewhere in between.
I think there will be a change in roles and who and where certain roles can be sourced or done. Certain roles will have to be done within a certain country due to regulations or jurisdictions, even if the person is working from home, working within a certain country might be a requirement. But for some roles, where a staff works from might not matter, so a different type of FTE might emerge as part of the new normal, an employee that can work from anywhere with a remuneration and benefits package specifically suited for such.
Time flies quickly and next thing you know, it will be Christmas and between now and then, more changes will happen. This is how evolution is, there will be plenty of changes along the way, there will be a lot of trial and error and this is also due to the changing nature of the impact of the pandemic.
For most of us who used to be a generic salaryman, we have to keep our eyes wide open, ears to ground and our running shoes on. Let's try as best as we can to be prepared for anything and ready to go at a moments notice to take advantage of any opportunity that might present itself.
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