As we begin to reopen the economy, perhaps it’s time for a conversation with businesses and major employers about how we’re going to return to work, and what work looks like now.  Is there an opportunity to hang on to some of the things we’re enjoying about lockdown, whilst also holding on to jobs and productivity?  In my own experience, the shift to more online meetings is a gamechanger – cutting down travel, wasting less time in traffic, which means more productive time at my desk and more flexibility around childcare.  At 4theRegion it also means we can communicate more easily with people from right across the region, making our events and conversations more accessible and therefore more regional.  I’m sure we’re not alone in experiencing benefits alongside the challenges of these new ways of working!

What about working from home?  If the kids were in school, perhaps some of us would relish more flexibility in our working week, the opportunity to work from home more often, and less commuting.  Employers have been forced to adapt rapidly to enable remote working and embrace online technologies, and it would be interesting to explore how many of those changes might be here to stay.