Recent analysis by Deloitte suggests that the pandemic has radically altered attitudes to productivity and wellbeing, with 38% of workers surveyed claiming that lockdown has had a negative impact on their wellbeing. Despite that fact, 55% of workers believe that their colleagues are at least as productive as they were prior to the pandemic. There is an understanding that wellbeing is linked to productivity to an extent, but these findings would suggest otherwise.

The disparity between self-perception of wellbeing and collegial perception underlines the clear divide between individual and society, a relationship that has been highlighted during lockdown. On a personal scale, there is a sizeable proportion of individuals who believe that while humanity as a whole has reaped the benefits of working from home, they are struggling to juggle the stresses of home-schooling, job security, and fear of illness.

Video conferencing has surged as a result of over 50% of people working from home at some point during lockdown (data from ONS). This development presented an opportunity for the broad video chat market. The market leader, Zoom, has increased its user base by over 30 times since the implementation of a lockdown.

In a recent interview with the economist Vicky Pryce, we discussed the impact of Covid-19 on gender equality. Working from home could also act as a potential catalyst for equal pay and opportunity between the genders. An increase in flexible working opportunities from employers could set in motion more accessible work for women. Despite this glimmer of hope, the pandemic as a whole has set back the goal of equal pay by decades. A recent report by the United Nations stated that ‘in times of crisis, when resources are strained and institutional capacity is limited, women and girls face disproportionate impacts with far reaching consequences that are only further amplified in contexts of fragility, conflict, and emergencies. Women make up 39 percent of global employment but account for 54 percent of overall job losses.

Redundancies are at record levels and unemployment has surged, with the Bank of England predicting that unemployment is likely to reach over 2.5 million in the middle of 2021.

The youngest workers have lost labour market share, potentially setting back a generation in housing and overall wealth.

The pandemic has reshaped the dynamics of a generation, with industries disrupted and lives upended. As we near a crucial chapter, governments must take stock of their individual economic and social situations and aid a recovery beneficial to all.