Companies have been compelled to accelerate their journeys to remote working while business trips have been restricted. Nevertheless, despite the challenges, these changes have brought about new opportunities to strike a balance between personal and professional life.
Under this new environment, marked by the leading role of technology, the return to the workplace will not escape important changes that have come to stay:
1. Flexible schedules
98% of businesses have implemented remote working, which has paved the way for flexibility, thereby meeting the needs of employees and ensuring business continuity. After seeing positive results, 76.2% of organizations have contemplated maintaining this way of working for 1 or 2 days per week and adjusting their policies to open room for ideas such as leaving early on Fridays or flexible hours, creating a hybrid between the workplace and remote work.
2. More online meetings
This shift has yielded major benefits for businesses and people, improving employee performance (45% have reported increased productivity), decreasing absenteeism, and leaving more time for family life. This, supported by technologies such as video calls, have caused many to believe that the return to the workplace is unnecessary and that only certain meetings ought to be held in person.
3. Business travel: just essential travel, and longer lasting
Health concerns and travel restrictions have halted frequent and routine travelling. Moreover, telecommuting and the emergence of digital technologies have caused many of these trips to be unnecessary as communication with customers has become easier and faster. Consequently, business trips have plummeted, leaving room only for those that are essential, which are generally longer lasting. Furthermore, the current situation has resulted in 30% of Colombians being more careful in terms of safety protocols, which has led them to book with less time in advance and on the lookout for flexible bookings that allow them to make changes on their dates, schedules, and even routes.
4. Luxury serviced apartments: a new trend for business travelers
In order to find more privacy and biosecurity, renting a furnished luxury apartment is an efficient alternative for business travelers. These spaces prevent crowds and offer the space needed to work from home, in a better way than in a 20 m2 hotel room. Bogoapts offers temporary housing options, located in the best neighborhoods in Bogota; a perfect option for enjoying free days and strolling around the city. Other benefits include:
- Booking easily, without paperwork and with flexible options to cancel or modify the dates of your booking.
- Wide and comfortable spaces. Entire apartments with living room, terrace, kitchen, laundry room, and others, to feel right at home.
- Work from home option. Convenient to comfortably work from home in a proper desk.
- Biosecurity measures in place with permanent cleaning and disinfection.
- Self check-in and check-out option available to encourage a contactless experience.
5. Bleisure: new trend in Business + Pleasure
Now that travels are less frequent, yet longer, workers are taking advantage of business trips to also enjoy vacations. They are booking for weeks or months, and are bringing their couples, families, or friends along, benefiting from the fact that they do not need to go back to headquarters to resume their activities.
As a matter of fact, this trend was already growing among millenials in 2019; 90% mixed business and leisure (saving money). Without a doubt, the pandemic has completely shifted our paradigms about work and business travel. To respond, there are solutions such as Bogoapts, offering comfortable and well-equipped apartments for long stays in Bogota; perfect for home office.