Starting in March 2020, widespread changes to work life prompted declarations of a “new normal.” The implementation of remote work, reliance on video conferencing, and shift in balance between home and work life appeared to signal a “transformed workplace.” But will these adaptions remain permanent? A year and a half later, have our work lives really transformed, or are we headed toward a pre-pandemic “normal” instead?

In this series, Cynthia Clark of Bentley University, Gwendolyn Combs of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Hari Rajagopalan of Francis Marion University, and Rhonda Sharpe of the Women’s Institute for Science, Equity and Race join the program to discuss the trap of the “transformed workplace” narrative. Bringing together expertise in business, higher education, and diversity, equity, and inclusion, our guests drill down into positive changes that may remain post-pandemic, unequal effects of work environment adjustments, and how to support students entering today’s workforce.

In this first episode, our speakers highlight the differences between the temporary shifts we’ve seen and substantial, long-lasting transformation within organizations. First, Rhonda explains the disparate impacts of COVID-19 on high- and low-wage workers. Hari reasons that the longevity of proposed work changes will depend on location, context, and access to technology. Last, Cynthia and Gwendolyn speak to how the pandemic hastened developments that were long in the works—automation, artificial intelligence, and carbon footprint reduction, to name a few.

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