CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The pandemic changed the working world as we knew it. Millions of companies were forced to figure out how to work together, while apart.
Remote work became the norm but with the current COVID-19 situation, doctors say the office is an option.
"Between being vaccinated and the number of people who have had COVID and have either passive or natural immunity, it is safer now for people to return to work than it used to be," Dr. Charles Bregier with Novant Health said.
Dr. Bregier is the corporate health medical director for Novant Health, navigating companies across the region through the changing safety guidelines.
Many companies are bringing workers back, without distancing and masks.
"We certainly want people to be more cautious with their workforce that’s not fully vaccinated or up to date on their vaccines," Dr. Bregier said.
And there are new challenges for companies to navigate.
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"There are new stressors that many different employees and employers are facing with mental health challenges, stress related problems, isolation, depression, substance abuse," he said. "A lot of social problems have developed and we’re finding resources to help employers deal with all these new challenges."
Doctors say the bottom line is COVID-19 will require flexibility in the future.
Contact Chloe Leshner at cleshner@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
WCNC Charlotte is part of seven major media companies and other local institutions reporting on and engaging the community around the problems and solutions as they relate to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a project of the Charlotte Journalism Collaborative, which is supported by the Local Media Project, an initiative launched by the Solutions Journalism Network with support from the Knight Foundation to strengthen and reinvigorate local media ecosystems. See all of our reporting at charlottejournalism.org.