COVID-19 and the virtualization of government

The sudden and involuntary transition to remote work caused by COVID-19 hasn’t been perfectly smooth for government agencies. Some are finding they lack the infrastructure to handle so many people working from home. They’ve discouraged streaming music to free up bandwidth. They’re experimenting with shift-based working hours to adhere to social distancing practices, while security experts worry about the increased attack surface with sensitive government information being accessed at home.

The disruption over the past month has been real, and in many cases, the response has been fast. But once the pandemic is over, the transition from remote back to the physical office won’t be easy either—and not just because of the potential for ongoing social distancing measures in the months to come.

As organisations in both the public and private sector continue to have employees work at home in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, they may be undergoing a transition that they can’t take back easily. Workflows will likely have to adapt, and workforces will settle in to a different kind of life balance. When it’s safe to return to the office, employees may not be returning to the same work. In some cases, the nature of their jobs and the expectations may have changed. Remote work might not just be a short-term inconvenience.

It appears that we may be on the cusp of a long-term transformation. COVID-19 has accelerated the timeline for the future of work—it’s here now, and it’s altering most aspects of how we work, where we work, and what we require to work effectively and collaboratively together.

Key Take outs:

• Responding now: Virtual work in a COVID-19 world
• Recovering tomorrow: Once we get used to this, then what?
• Preparing to thrive: Looking forward to the future of work