We attempted to build on our recent co-edited book Back to a new normal: In search of stability in an era of pandemic disruption - Insights from practitioners and academics (Malka & Tiell, 2022). Published in early 2022 and written at the height of the pandemic, the views expressed by its contributors dealt with the immediate effects of the pandemic; sort of a ‘here and now’ but with an eye on the future. At the time of its writing, only few of us could have anticipated or predicted the long-term trends that have been created anew, or accelerated by the pandemic, and that promised to linger for years to come. Consider, for instance, the impact of three such developments – the shift to work from home, remote learning, and the change in consumer behavior. Few, if any, foresaw the massive migration, still unfolding, that has been taking place during the last three years as a consequence of the shift to work from home. Remote work meant the end of being compelled to reside closer to a workplace; it enabled many to relocate to other desired parts of the country. By some estimates, over 46 million Americans have relocated since 2020 – primarily from West and Northeast states to Southern states (Mitchell, 2020). Similarly, very few predicted the negative effects that the shift to remote learning would have on the financial health of many institutions of higher learning. Two years into the pandemic, it is estimated that universities’ debt burden exceeded $300 billion. In fact, American universities recorded their largest drop in revenues in decades in 2020-2021. A drop in enrollment coupled with a drop in room-and-board revenue from students who preferred remote learning, and a shrinking pool of foreign students accounted for the institutions’ losses. Further losses are anticipated well into 2025 and beyond (Spenser, 2021). And, with the change in consumer’s behavior that is still evolving, the future of the Mall as a premier American icon is in danger. The pandemic has probably changed our buying habits beyond return, hitting particularly hard Malls as retail centers. Since 2021, Malls saw a record number of retail related bankruptcies including major chains – Neiman Marcus, JCPenney, J.Crew and Brooks Brothers. And worse still, according to Green Street – a real-estate research firm – near half of all remaining Mall-based department stores are expected to close by 2025 (Lee, 2021). Three years into the pandemic, numerous such trends are emerging and continue to form and crystalize, primarily as a consequence of the work from home movement and the related changes in consumer behavior. The impact of these trends is remarkably profound affecting both people’s lives and organizations’ future. As such, they cannot be ignored and should be noted. Following in this vein, we devote this chapter to a review of what we perceive as long-term developments triggered and/or accelerated by the pandemic. We touch on their impact and conclude with some final thoughts that are most relevant for the remote worker
