Will We Return to Normal?

You don’t have to look very far these days to find stories and anecdotes about people who are rethinking their careers as we head back to work after the pandemic.

In fact, this might actually run both ways with employers as well as employees questioning whether they want to return to the status quo of the pre-pandemic world. A recent report from the HR firm Ceridian, for example, suggested a large percentage of workers are questioning whether they want to return to work under the old model. More and more are thinking the pandemic was a watershed moment that has them either thinking about quitting altogether or contemplating the freedom and flexibility offered by contract or gig work rather than full-time employment.

On the other side of the equation, many employers had a taste of running their businesses remotely or with absentee employees who operated from home. Some are now wondering whether they too want to embrace the contract or gig work concept and shed the burden of costs such as CPP, EI, and benefits that come with having permanent employees on their payrolls.