The pandemic will continue to change how we work
March 7, 2022
It’s time to focus on your career, given the changes to employment as a result of the pandemic, writes Peter Watson.
Work has changed as result of the pandemic. Change has occurred in sectors that seem logical, but changes are also happening in areas that were not directly affected.
Restaurant employment has seen a mass exodus of workers. Attrition from these jobs seemed logical.
But surprisingly law firms are having difficulty retaining staff as well as attracting new talent, according to the “2022 Report on the State of the Legal Market”.
Lawyers are well-trained, work in offices and have work environments fairly similar to other professions and many other occupations. The pandemic caused us to take a strong second look at how we live our lives with the conclusion that a change is needed.
According to the report, a strategy used by law firm employers was to increase salaries and offer retention bonuses. That should work. Money can be a great motivator. Surprisingly, that did not solve the problem.
When the pandemic started, office staff shifted to working at home. That offered greater flexibility. Start work early, then walk the dog. Work through lunch and stop working earlier than normal.
Technology has evolved. You can now be plugged into your office without actual being there physically. That has completely re-shaped how work can and will be done in the future.
The significance of the report is the changing attitude towards employment is just not occurred in the areas that we would have had anticipated. This is a good time to be alert to the changing employment environment.
Times are changing.
Peter Watson, of Watson Investments MBA, CFP®, R.F.P., CIM®, FCSI offers a weekly financial planning column, Dollars & Sense. He can be contacted through www.watsoninvestments.com.
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