Whether or not or not you’re complying—tens of millions of employees have been ordered again, however many are preventing it to the bitter finish—the timing is fairly dangerous. 

That’s as a result of the pandemic isn’t over. COVID instances within the U.S. have hit (one other) excessive plateau, with neighborhood unfold on the similar ranges of late final winter, Fortune’s Erin Prater reported. The perpetrator? A “new, extremely mutated COVID variant” known as Pirola BA.2.86. Fortunately, most consultants say that given 

Even regardless of the vaccine-enabled lack of panic accompanying this newest variant, the recommendation is identical as ever: Excessive-risk individuals (the aged, immunocompromised, these with preexisting circumstances) ought to keep away from crowded indoor settings—or navigate them with a well-fitting masks. That’s what Dr. Georges Benjamin, govt director of the American Public Well being Affiliation, instructed Prater final week.

However that’s simply at the moment. Ten years from now, it’s not unreasonable to anticipate one other dangerous pandemic may emerge. Simply months in the past, Invoice Gates, who was one thing of a COVID Nostradamus within the years main as much as 2020, known as for a “hearth division for pandemics,” as a result of extra are simply sure to emerge in coming years.

To keep away from the worst of no matter pandemic could also be across the bend, consultants say it’s essential for leaders to recollect the essential classes of 2020, significantly relating to flexibility. Certainly, even non-experts within the public well being area contend that, regardless of the large push in the direction of workplace work, some quantity of distant work is non-negotiable in a pandemic context.

“If you wish to stop future infections, pandemics: Be extra versatile,” flexibility skilled, Stanford economist, and founding father of WFH Analysis Nick Bloom mentioned on a panel final month. “You want some [remote work], not less than [a hybrid plan], as a result of which means if somebody’s in poor health, they will make money working from home.” 

The analysis consortium that Bloom heads up, WFH Analysis, runs a Survey of Working Preparations and Attitudes (SWAA) every month, which asks 10,000 individuals a gentle set of questions—and touches on a handful of sizzling subjects, he defined throughout the webinar hosted by Scoop, a distant work know-how platform. 

In July, Bloom and his crew requested employees whether or not they had been sick or injured within the final month. 600 thirty-three mentioned sure—largely that they had been sick. Over three quarters—76%—of these respondents mentioned they went into their workplace regardless. “Perhaps a few of them are your colleagues,” Bloom mentioned. “That isn’t nice—actually removed from nice.” 

Bloom’s information highlights a “fairly important” level for firms who’re overly centered on a bodily workplace return—too typically on the expense of wise COVID insurance policies. 

Because it stands, Bloom understands why individuals come to work even once they’re sick with a doubtlessly infectious sickness. “They’ve a efficiency evaluation on the finish of the week or subsequent week. They’re burdened, and so they’re anxious [working from home] received’t look good,” he mentioned. “Having the ability to make money working from home is a very helpful different in that state of affairs. I can inform my supervisor I don’t really feel nice, and possibly I received’t work a full day. However I can not less than do some important issues, and that flexibility ought to dramatically cut back an infection charges.”

It appears plainly wise. However sarcastically sufficient, employees, bosses, and public well being consultants alike had this very same dialog this time final 12 months, heralded as one more banner return-to-office week that by no means fairly materialized. Certainly, any boss mandating a return will need to have executed so assuming that the pandemic was, for all intents and functions, behind them. 

Naturally, that proved to be poor planning. “Any modeling executed greater than three to 4 weeks forward is meaningless,” Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the College of Minnesota’s Middle for Infectious Illness Analysis and Coverage (CIDRAP), instructed Prater in September 2022. “Now we have so little expertise with coronaviruses and the way they play out…we’re sort of in limbo land proper now.”

Regardless of the scary new variants, this 12 months would possibly lastly see pandemic issues come to an finish—for higher or worse. By the top of 2023, 2.5 million employees will occupy not less than 100 million sq. ft of workplace house, not less than a few days every week, John Gates, CEO of actual property consulting agency JLL’s Americas Markets, not too long ago instructed Yahoo Finance. 

However, then once more, historical past would recommend that’s unlikely. Mark Ein, Kastle Techniques chairman, final 12 months instructed Fortune’s Trey Williams that even 60% capability could also be a pipe dream. “It goes in matches and begins,” Ein mentioned of in-office charges. “[Office occupancy] has been on a gentle rise for the reason that starting of [2022]. However there will likely be a pure ceiling to it.”

The most recent information supplied to Fortune from Kastle, a safety firm that tracks key card swipes, discovered that places of work within the 10 largest U.S. metro areas had been 47.3% full the week ending August 30—about the place they’ve been for the previous two years. Places of work (as tracked by Kastle) have by no means crested greater than 50.4% full. With flu season across the nook, that quantity is unlikely to develop. For anybody with an curiosity in avoiding sickness (specifically, everybody) possibly that’s welcome information in any case.