A recent survey suggested that most people are of the opinion that once lockdown is lifted, the ‘new normal’ will be substantially different to the normal it replaced. There might be an element of wishful thinking. If your staff has worked from home, something email marketing lends itself to, then they might not want the benefits to be taken from them. This can work in our favour.
There are downsides to homeworking. The one most often quoted is difficulties concentrating when the children are at home, although this, presumably, will go when lockdown’s lifted. It’s one I sympathise with after one summer spent revising for a vital exam.
On the other hand, upsides are numerous. Many work for us, such as commuting distances not being such a factor. Where your potential and actual staff live has been limited by infrastructure. If you opt 
for working from home three or four days a week, the pool of recruits is expanded enormously. On top of that, you can choose between better staff or pay less as the lower costs of commuting will not be a factor. Why didn’t you think of it before?
There’s evidence that absenteeism is higher amongst those who commute long distances, and those with domestic limitations are likewise less dependable. Two subtle positives. A more significant one is that organising a germ-free office is easier and cheaper.
Working from home for employees in email marketing was increasing, albeit slowly, in the pre-pandemic world. It seems likely that many such trends will speed up. There are other factors to consider, such as smaller premises, lower heating costs, no longer having to have your premises near transport links; i.e. in the most expensive locations.
There has been a significant increase in the sale of laptops, you know, the type you might think are best for dispersed email marketing. There’s no immediate need to rush. However, there is an urgent need for an outline plan at least.
Expectations of staff might well have changed. Middle management, the bastion of conservatism with working practices, has come over to the idea of working from home being of benefit. It’s something to consider. Now!
