During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, companies around the world rapidly shifted from office-based work to remote work, leading to significant changes in how people work.

Now, as we transition from a pandemic to an endemic era, what preparations should companies make, and what can we learn from global examples? Let’s take a closer look.

One of the most notable changes during the pandemic was the transformation in how organizations operate. Traditionally, employees worked in offices, holding face-to-face meetings daily. But with COVID-19, many companies swiftly adopted remote work as a necessity.

Before the pandemic, only a few IT companies allowed remote work. At the start of the crisis, many assumed the shift would be short-lived. However, as the pandemic persisted, 9 out of 10 major companies adopted permanent remote work arrangements, reshaping workplace culture.

Most companies operated in two- or three-shift systems based on team size, or allowed remote work for employees with health or caregiving needs. In some cases, all staff except for essential personnel worked remotely.

As restrictions eased and mask mandates lifted, countries around the world began transitioning into an endemic phase. With that, many companies started preparing for a return to the office. However, employees had grown accustomed to working from anywhere, and globally, remote and hybrid work models were becoming the new standard.

Some companies adopted remote work without robust systems in place. A Google Workspace survey of workers in 15 countries showed that over 75% expect hybrid work to become the standard within three years.

As such, companies are now exploring alternative models like satellite offices, shift-based work, and hybrid systems tailored to job roles—aiming to address inefficiencies and maximize flexibility.

1. Twitter : Twitter now allows permanent remote work. CEO Parag Agrawal stated that while offices remain open, attendance is voluntary based on employee preference.

2. Microsoft : A pioneer in remote work since early in the pandemic, Microsoft adopted a hybrid model that varies by role, enabling both in-office and remote flexibility.

3. Apple : Since April, Apple has implemented a hybrid model: in-office on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, and remote work on Wednesdays and Fridays.

As remote work becomes more common, companies must now build environments where employees can work seamlessly with digital tools like cloud platforms and enterprise networks.

One of the top priorities is implementing a smart time and attendance system—especially for employees not working from the main office. These systems are crucial for HR teams to track attendance accurately and manage work schedules fairly.

An ideal solution should support not just scheduling, but also electronic approvals, shift planning, and integrated time tracking. This type of system enables companies of all sizes to build scalable, efficient work environments in the endemic era.

In this article, we looked at how companies can adapt to create flexible, future-ready work environments in the endemic era.

As most organizations are still in the early stages of adopting new workplace models, it’s important to combine flexible work policies with cloud workforce management systems that meet the needs of both companies and employees.

Flexible Workforce Management - Shiftee