Page 52 - FDI Alliance International Magazine. Spring 2021 Digital Interactive Issue

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I started my own law firm in the fall of 2019. It also were working out of their homes. Working conversations with one’s co-workers on a regular
was the first time I had ever been in business for from home had become the new normal. basis when at work produces innovative ideas.
myself. It was also the first time I had ever worked I wondered would this fundamentally change This loss of productivity must be a consideration
from home. Little did I know that in a few months, the work setting going forward. I did not know. when deciding whether to have employees work
most of the world would be working from home I can see the obvious attraction to companies from home or at the office. However, employers
because of COVID. It was a huge adjustment to of dumping expensive office space and having already were beginning to explore this path by
go to work by waking up and going downstairs to everyone meet virtually on their computers. It allowing more days for teleworking and moving
my home office. The only positive I initially could certainly made sense to me as a sole practitioner away from personal offices to group space.
see about not having to go into the office was I to avoid the extra expense of rent when starting
did not have to deal with traffic anymore, which is a business. I assume the same thought began Studies on whether the savings from working at
a big deal in the DC area. However, this benefit to run through the minds of CFOs across the home would be worth this loss of interaction among
certainly did not make working in isolation any country on a larger scale. employees should become more commonplace
better. now that we have gone completely down that road.
The counterpoint to the obvious cost savings is It will be interesting to see if companies find that the
Once COVID changed all our lives, I knew that whether you lose productivity by not interacting tradeoff is worth it.
I was not alone. Most of the people I dealt with face-to-face with your peers at work. Engaging in

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