After COVID

[Greg Hyde]

There seems to be a belief that everything will return to "NORMAL" post after COVID.

Businesses have been forced to work outside the box (office) to survive.

There has been a BOOM in video-conferencing solutions so maybe there will be lesser PAX between the capitals because you don't have to physically attend a meeting.

Business floor space may be reduced since you can work from home (more effectively) and come into the office for weekly meetings etc. Hot-desking rather than everybody has a desk

Simple cost reductions that are working now and I expect may continue.

A brave new world

[Robbie J]

Yes, it introduces or represents another cost-saving form of 'economic rationalism' that many businesses will indeed embrace, particularly those that don't need a 'public interface' and therefore don't need a retail showroom or storefront.

But not all businesses or jobs are like that. A restaurant chef can't really work from home, neither can a taxi driver or courier/delivery driver.

Many online and e-commerce businesses gave-the-flick to commercial lease arrangements and costly business premises ages ago. It's just the smart/appropriate thing to do in terms of overheads and outgoing expenses.

Dunno about you, but I for one am exetremely disappointed when for-profit companies go cap-in-hand to the government for bailouts rather than using their own profits to bail themselves out.

I truly sympathize with anyone going through tough times due to job losses, but Qantas (or Alan Joyce) has lost my respect for thinking the airline should get preferential treatment. At least that's how it seems to me.