The return to normalcy or the Pre-Covid era is indeed welcome. Places seem to be running at full capacity, mask guidelines are being relaxed and no one seems to care about your vaccination status anymore. There is hope in the air, a promise of tomorrow filled with infinite possibilities. News of new variants (XE) do seem concerning but even as we learn to adapt and live with Covid, here are some of the things which should change for good.
Public Health Systems
Last year the summer months were excruciating. And it was not because of the heat. The unforgiving second wave exposed the inadequacies of the health systems of our country. We were not equipped to handle the crisis that ensued. The vulnerability of uninsured (32 %) population increased manifold. Going forward the thrust has to be on affordable and accessible healthcare. Insurance, preventive health education and more medical personnel remain vital to a robust public health system in the country. The Right to Health as a Fundamental Right must become a motto for all of us.
Increased Social Security for the Unorganised sector
With the first lockdown came the Migrant crisis. Covid showed how fragile the unorganised sector is to external shocks. When the restrictions eased, there were two contradictory trends. Pent up demand from knowledge workers and severe contraction in the informal sector. The precarious nature employment in the informal sector made them more dependent on various government schemes – PM Garib Kalyan Yojana for instance. However, with over 80 % population in the informal sector – government handouts cannot be sustainable in the long run. The focus on social security measures – such as insurance, unemployment allowance and more avenues for upskilling will ensure that such a crisis can be better managed.
Nature of Work
While work from home was the norm in the lockdowns, the idea of working from anywhere have led to the concept of workacations, 100 % remote office and a virtual metaverse. The future of work is going to be hybrid. Research proves that innovation, collaboration, shared camaraderie, a shared purpose and vision are stronger when people occupy the same space. However, remote work has led to an increase in productivity. Reduced commute time, communal lunches and increased family time has contributed to a more judicious use of one’s day. While Meta and Linkedin are offering unlimited work from anywhere, Alphabet and Apple are adopting the Hybrid approach. But the organisations which strike a balance between flexibility, innovation and productivity will take home the trophy. Goodbye 9 to 5.
Travel:
When I was organising trips at Breakfree Journeys, I did not envision a time like Covid. Turns out many in the hospitality, travel and tourism sector did not either. We did not anticipate such a drastic shock. But with every crisis there emerges an opportunity. Ideas of slow travel were emerging post 2016 and those are likely to return. As workacation becomes a reality, longer occupancy will become the norm. Availability of steady wifi and power will become bare minimum value offerings. Office like infrastructure in AirBnbs and Homestays will need to be added to increase their workacation potential.
Backyard adventures and neighbourhood walking trips will need to be more imaginative as people will seek a quick respite from the monotony of working from home. Social travel with friends is likely to pick up more than with strangers. But will travel for leisure be different? Unlikely. Though the offerings will need to be more social media friendly and sustainable. Influencers will continue to impact the discoverability of places, stay and eating options so social media will play a major role.
The Digital Divide
Those with access to digital education and online work had to only change their ways of learning or working. However, many Indians were cut off from the benefits of connectivity. The ASER Report noted the extent to which many school children were deprived of education due to the lockdown – 26 % surveyed did not have access to a smartphone. In the absence of either device, power or internet or sometimes all of the above, many children were left in the lurch. Further, digital illiteracy contributed to deepening of this divide. Bridging this divide should be the motto of the post Covid era so that any such barriers to access are removed. Creating a level playing field will foster fair competition.
So as we ‘pivot’ back to the old normal we must use this opportunity to shed the baggage of the past and take with us these new ways of doing things!