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Pick up (or more likely click on) any newspaper in these days of global lockdown and you will probably come across an article about how the world of work will never be the same again. The demise of the daily commute, office life and the end of business travel may have attractions to some but are apocalyptic to others. Will these things really change when we get back to normal-whatever the new ‘normal’ is? Somehow, I doubt it. Whilst shipbrokers seem to have largely overcome the trauma of discovering that theirs is not considered an ‘essential occupation’, plenty of shipping folk are going stir crazy and itching to get back to the office. That’s hardly surprising-I doubt there is anyone who doesn’t have a ‘difficult’ relationship with at least one person at work, but the office is also the main source of social interaction outside of families, and the foundation of many friendships. We actually miss it. Much has been written about how working from home has allowed people to learn the art of multi-tasking and eradicate the time wasted by water cooler banter and unnecessary meetings, but whilst acknowledging that business may be slow at present, how much productivity has been lost by not being in a competitive office environment? Once free movement opens up again, you can bet that the grind of the daily commute will become normal again for everyone. There will have been plenty of thought amongst managers and HR departments during this enforced office absence about whether they really need all these people, so the need to get back, be part of ‘the team’ and prove your worth is essential. "Shipbrokers seem to have overcome the trauma of discovering that theirs is not considered an essential occupation" The founder of Zoom is probably one of the few freshly minted billionaires to come out of this crisis, but already people are tiring of video conferencing and suffering from ‘Zoom fatigue’. An eminent psychiatrist said this month: “During Zoom meetings, people have difficulties picking up non-verbal expressions, the tone of voice and the hidden emotions of the others, and handling this consumes extra energy.” He further added that the mental stability of some long term patients had worsened because of the stress of working from home and virtual meetings. Back in the 1990s, Northwest Airlines used the advertising slogan ‘You can’t fax a handshake’. Both that particular airline and the fax machine are now pretty much consigned to history, but the sentiment of the advertisement still holds true. If social distancing rules become the norm on aircraft, then air travel will certainly be more expensive, but once we get the all clear to travel without quarantine restrictions, you can be sure shipping folk will be on the move again. Everyone will be looking for a competitive advantage and maintaining the personal relationships that are so critical in this business can only be done by renewing personal contact-at a safe distance. The company that invites a client to join them for a weekly video conference is going to be quickly out-flanked by the competitor who has dispatched their foot soldiers and who can say: “Let’s meet in the Captain’s Bar at 7.00.” The memories of jet-lag, missed flight connections, office politics and crowded, unreliable trains to work might be receding, but they are merely some of the negatives we have been spared from for a few weeks. Here’s hoping that our politicians and scientists find a way to get the economy working safely again- you have to have sympathy for the tanker owner who is restricted to celebrating his six-figure fixture in isolation.

The old way is the best way

With working from home now a way of life for millions, our special correspondent questions if this will become a permanent arrangement once Covid-19 is contained

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