Are You Ready For a Change?
In my column last week I asked the question why did so many people – at least so far – not return to work. This was based on national reports that employers are experiencing difficulties locating employees to fill positions. The phrasing of the question might have been a bit unfair. There could have simply been a delayed response getting ready to return or, on the other hand, in some cases the reasons could have run deeper.
After publication, one reader contacted me directly with his observations. My guess is his experience probably affects many others as well. The gist of the conversation as I understand it was that he could not return to things as they used to be. Things as they used to be did not exist any more. With advances in technology developed during the long COVID-19 recess, employees needed to be ready and able to return to a different workplace. My reader was used to direct communication. I take it he meant by phone or in person contact. Not every position adapts well to change and neither does every person. Also there are different talents. Someone who is excellent at in-person sales might not be able to adjust this as effectively to websites, memes and tweets. This is a good point and I believe could also account for some of the large number of retirements I have seen recently.
On the other hand I have to admit it for myself. I love technology. I wait eagerly for the next upgrade and the next app provided that it actually works and makes work simpler and easier. At the same time I understand how some people might have difficulty adapting to all of this and could miss some of the human
touch.
It is one thing to meet in person with a new client and another to relate by zoom or on an extended conference call. There is no app that can completely replace
physical contact. There are things you can learn in person that are difficult to share on a screen. On the other hand if we did not have these improvements over the past 14 months it is difficult to see how we could have kept going effectively at all.
One question is how much of the past 14 months’ technology is here to stay on a regular basis and how much will fade into the shadows. Will we have remote
notarization? Will clients at a distance continue to be able to be sworn in as Executors of new estates by zoom thereby eliminating the need to travel what
might be hundreds or thousands of miles away? With at least one client serving in the military in a remote location it was mystifying to me to watch how relatively quickly things could fall into place by using technological advances. I remember questioning a client several years ago regarding the feasibility of naming her daughter who lives in Sweden as power of attorney. She explained “No problem. We meet every day on Facetime.”
It is true there are some services you simply cannot effectively provide without physical contact. While you can buy take-out for lunch there is nothing to replace adequately the physical experience of sitting at a table and ordering with your friends while your server brings a steaming hot meal to the table. Still some waiters and waitresses, bartenders, cooks, chefs, and other personal service workers might have moved on and decided to assume their place in the new world
of technology. They might be the new inventors and explorers or might have found new ways to do things they always wanted to do before but never had the
time or opportunity.
For the client group that I service which is mostly, but not only, age 50 and older there are mixed results. Many clients adapt well to e-signing documents
instead of needing to have them mailed to them and then returned. The vast majority have access to email. There is about an even mix between those who like the convenience of zoom meetings that avoid difficult travel and those who prefer face to face meetings although face to face is coming back. As we come
out of the shadows, there are choices, so the question is which direction to take.
About the Author Janet Colliton
Esquire, Colliton Law Associates, P.C. Janet Colliton has practiced law for over 38 years, 37 of them in Chester County, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. Her practice, Colliton Law Associates, PC, is limited to elder law, Medicaid, including advice, applications and appeals, and other benefits planning including Veterans benefits, life care and special needs planning, guardianships, retirement, and estate planning and administration.