Gone are the days when attending office meant heading out of home early, wearing crisp formal clothes and polished shoes. It was crucial to be on time. Latecomers in many offices would routinely be marked present only for half a day.

In the post-pandemic world, the work culture has been turned on its head. Not only is work-from-home a reality, but it is also being encouraged for a better work-life balance. Not to disregard the fact that it is helping organisations cut costs by asking employees to work from home. Hybrid work (a mix of work-from-home and work-from-office) too is popular today wherein employees work from office for a few days in a week.

Given the change in scenario, the Central government has brought in sweeping changes to the labour code – the Code on Wages, Industrial Relations Code, Social Security Code and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code.

Here are five things to know about the new wage code:

No more than 48 hours of work per week

According to the new rules, no employee should be made to work for more than 48 hours in a week. Employees can choose to work either 4 days a week (12 hours a day) or 6 days a week (8 hours a day). Those working 12-hour days are entitled to three days of leave per week.

Basic salary to be 50% of the CTC

Basic salary has to be 50% of the gross salary, which will lead to an increase in gratuity. Both employer and employee are to put in more money for Provident Fund (PF), but this will mean lesser money in hand. Also, requirement of minimum service has been removed for payment of gratuity in case of fixed-term employees.

Change in leave policy

Instead of 240 days, now if a worker has worked 180 days, she shall be entitled for one-day leave for every 20 days of work done. This would mean that a new employee can avail of leave after six months of joining a company instead of the earlier rule of having to wait till later.

Employer to ensure safe working conditions for women

Female employees will benefit from an increase in maternity leave to 26 weeks. In 2017, the Maternity Benefit Act 1961 was amended to increase maternity leave to six months from the earlier practice of granting three months’ leave. Now, the government has gone a step further and increased the maternity leave to six-and-a-half months. Also, women’s consent will have to be taken before employers can put them on night shift. With their consent, women can even start work before 6 am and after 7 pm. The onus is on the employer to ensure that proper safety and facilities are provided at night.

Minimum wage guarantee for all

Now employees of both organized as well as unorganized sectors are guaranteed minimum wages.

Also, in the event of an employee leaving a company, the employer has to settle full payment of dues within two days of the employee’s last working day.

The new wage code truly signals winds of change for salaried employees who often struggle to achieve a work-life balance. Eased norms for gratuity and more corpus in PF would mean more retirement funds while flexibility to choose the number of work hours will up the happiness quotient for employees. All in all, it’s a win-win.

Content is the language brands use to communicate with their customers. The proliferation of touchpoints between brands and consumers has led to that much more content. Today, branded content is all-pervasive and exists throughout the customer journey. In the attention economy, the primary task of content is to effectively engage intended audiences. Leading brands have devised their own secret formula to conjure up content that hooks customers. But as we emerge from the once-in-a-century event, that is, this pandemic, the language of brands demands a reset.

The pandemic has significantly transformed people’s attitudes and behaviours. As we clock two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, all talk of a return to a pre-pandemic normal has paled. It’s now widely accepted that the tectonic shifts the pandemic brought with it will result in changes that are here to stay. A global Ipsos survey for the World Economic Forum reported finding among people “a profound and widespread desire for change rather than a return to how things were before the pandemic”. In fact, 85 per cent of Indian respondents said they wanted their life to change significantly rather than return to how it was before the COVID-19 crisis.

Clearly, the same content is no longer going to strike a chord with this changing audience. The post-pandemic consumer is more likely to engage with content that has the underlying themes of purpose, authenticity and trust.

State your purpose

Almost every post-pandemic study and research mentions the rising prominence of purpose in all aspects of business. The Ipsos survey states that global sentiment is against returning to the pre-COVID status quo of prioritising profits over people. 86 per cent of the respondents said they wanted to see the world become more sustainable and equitable.

A report by Merkle, titled ‘The Next Generation of Consumer Behaviours’, suggests “in 2022, the onus is on brands to do right by their consumers”. This could be linked to the growing influence of Millennials and Gen Z as the cohort with the most purchasing power. The Merkle report found that 76 per cent of Millennials and 83 per cent of Gen Z believe brands should take a stance on social issues. In contrast, only 59 per cent of older consumers were of the same opinion.

Purpose also takes the top spot on Deloitte’s Global Marketing Trends for 2022. “The expectation that the purpose of businesses should go beyond maximising profits is becoming more common,” affirms the report. In the post-pandemic world, brands with a competitive advantage are those demonstrating a commitment to purpose. According to Deloitte, 42 per cent of high-growth brands believe purpose is fundamental to brand messaging.

Display your authentic side

Branded content usually features an aspirational tone. It has even succeeded in inspiring people to take action and improve their lives. But in the context of the current state of affairs, a similar strategy carries the risk of appearing tone-deaf. Whether individuals or businesses, few of us were unscathed by the pandemic. And now, we’re in a time of global-scale recovery. Content configured to this new reality and displaying authenticity is more likely to resonate with audiences. In the wake of a prolonged period of turmoil, consumers are rejecting unreal standards of perfection and seeking real human connections.

In the wake of a prolonged period of turmoil, consumers are rejecting unreal standards of perfection and seeking real human connections.

The pandemic also put the spotlight on physical and mental wellness. People are now more proactive about their overall health. Content that advances the wellbeing conversation and promotes ideas around living healthier and taking time off will be in favour. Constant exposure to grim news has also boosted the preference for light-hearted and inspiring content.

Win trust and loyalty

Close on the heels of the pandemic is a period of economic uncertainty, shrinking disposable income and conservative consumer spending. At a time like this, content that focuses on building customer trust and loyalty is likely to show better results than content that aims to generate sales and convert leads. Brands can capitalise on the opportunity by channelling content efforts towards customer retention rather than acquisition. Be it thanking customers for staying with you through difficult times or finding ways to add value to their experience.

Regardless of the time, the universal key to winning an audience’s attention is understanding their needs. And consumer needs have changed drastically over the course of the pandemic. In the post-pandemic world, effective content will indicate brand purpose, communicate authentically and seek to earn trust.

After COVID-19 forced all of us indoors, the internet came to the rescue. With restrictions on physical movement and limited options for entertainment, social media became the holy grail for keeping in touch and recreation. Over the past year, social media users grew by 13 per cent, and more than half the world’s population is now on social media. Brands are where their audience is, so it’s no wonder that they followed suit and amped up their social media activity. In the absence of in-person meetings and corporate events, coupled with the new work from home reality, it made sense for business leaders to be more active on social media too.

There’s no denying that social media proved to be one of the most effective means for mass communication during the pandemic. However, with all eyes and voices on social media, it introduced the new insecurity of visibility. If everyone is posting to the same platform, there’s the threat of one’s post getting lost to oblivion. It seems that brands and leaders believe that increasing the frequency of their posts will help them tackle the problem. But there’s a fine line between wanting to be visible on social media and being overactive.

In the bid to be seen, it’s easy to tread into over posting. Before you know it, your social media activity loses its sheen and turns into a nuisance for your followers. Sprout Social found that 45 percent of consumers unfollow brands because of irrelevant content and 24 per cent when the brands post too much.

Here are some key points to achieve a balance and ensure your social media posts aren’t simply adding to the noise.

Quality vs Quantity

There are countless articles recommending the ideal number of posts for different platforms. The pitfall of resorting to a template strategy is that you will end up posting even when there isn’t a need. Instead of posting meaningful content, you will post anything simply to meet a certain number of posts for the day or week. The compulsion to post for the sake of it soon reflects in the quality of your content. The adage of quality over quantity wins here. Rather than exhausting resources on too many posts of average quality that are likely to be ignored, it’s better to focus on few posts of high quality that will have a greater impact.

Relevancy vs. Trends

When you increase your social media activity, it’s easy to give in to the trap of trending hashtags. You may feel compelled to post about a trending topic under the assumption that it’s an easy way to gain visibility. But the lure of trends makes one relinquish relevancy. Just to have something to say, you may post something without giving a thought to whether it’s relevant to you or your brand. This chips at your brand’s credibility over time and opens room for error. Is being seen more important than the substance of the message? Before jumping the gun, determine whether it’s something that needs to be said or can be done without.

JOMO vs FOMO

The tendency to latch on to every and any topic on social media usually stems from FOMO or the fear of missing out. But this leads to follower fatigue, and they may ignore your posts on their feed. Leaders are finding it better to adopt a stance of JOMO or the joy of missing out. When too many people are talking about the same topic and a leader feels they have nothing new to add, they prefer staying out of it. Posting something that sparks a new conversation generates more valuable engagement. It also builds consistency for your brand. When a follower comes across your post, they will stop to consume it because they expect interesting content.

Keeping these aspects in mind helps one determine how much is too much social media activity. For leaders, being overseen on social media can project an undesirable image. After all, you don’t want your followers to think you’re glued to social media throughout the day. Meanwhile, brands bombarding their followers’ timelines quickly becomes a turnoff. Striking the right balance improves the quality of your content and gives your followers something to look forward to.

The new normal has eased many barriers that existed for female entrepreneurs in all these years. The changes introduced by COVID-19 have transformed the corporate landscape, and many of them have created favourable circumstances for female entrepreneurs.

It’s been more than a year since organisations switched to work from home following the pandemic, and the model’s efficiency for business operations has been well demonstrated.

Industry-wide work from home has also prompted some shifts in attitude that will prove significant to female entrepreneurs. These changing perceptions are shaping a friendlier environment for women in business.

Like many such new normals are likely to become a part of everyday life post-COVID, these changes in attitude, too, will welcome more women to entrepreneurship.

Acceptance of fully remote startups

Before the pandemic, if one thought of starting a business, decisions about an office space usually was one of the top priorities. Even while introducing one’s business, questions about one’s office space tended to be one of the oft-asked questions.

In the pre-COVID-19 era, if one happened to say they were working from home with a remote team, it took away one’s business credibility. There was an unconscious bias against women working from home and the impulse to think they were only doing small assignments that didn’t bring a regular income. A physical office space elevated the ‘seriousness’ of a business.

The pandemic has turned the question obsolete. There’s never been a better time than now for businesses operating on a fully remote model. With global companies of all shapes and sizes working remotely, acceptance of the ‘work from home’ model has allowed entrepreneurs to breathe a sigh of relief.

You can now run an entirely virtual business without physical office space and a remote team located across geographies, and no one will bat an eyelid.

Today, your work does the talking. The work that you’ve done and the work you showcase establishes an entrepreneur’s credibility. Professional networking, too, has turned virtual and happens on social media networks.

A robust digital presence keeps you in touch with your professional network and eliminates the worry of inviting clients to a physical office for meetings.

Normalisation of motherhood and caregiving

Work from home replaced work-life balance with work-life integration. Working from home, juggling personal and professional lives, introduced a more holistic acceptance of a professional’s domestic responsibilities.

The common reality we’re facing and ever-changing guidelines inevitably make talk of an errand or chore a part of our professional conversations. It is making colleagues and clients, generally, more empathetic towards the role women play in their lives as mothers and caregivers.

I see people acknowledging the effort — something that was not appreciated earlier. As a female entrepreneur, excusing oneself to attend to domestic responsibilities or children is not frowned upon as it used to be.

It’s no longer perceived poorly and doesn’t take away from a female entrepreneur’s professional capabilities. This creates an encouraging environment that allows women to thrive as entrepreneurs. It saves significant mental energy that they may otherwise expend in trying to portray themselves as women who mean business.

An inclusive environment for mompreneurs

Concurrently, at home, family members are more understanding than ever before. They are more empathetic and appreciative of the efforts that go into balancing household responsibilities and work.

Witnessing first-hand — the woman in the role of an entrepreneur and a mom — they are now motivated to step in and help them achieve a balance. There is more support and encouragement at home.

Evenly and equally distributed domestic responsibilities have reduced the burden of expectations and roles assumed to be for women. Additionally, outsourcing tasks with detailed planning also helps.

Work from home also makes entrepreneurship more inclusive for mothers. Earlier, I used to be at the office for 10 to 12 hours at a stretch, which kept me from participating in my children’s lives.

Now, being physically present, I can monitor and supervise while also attending to work. Being around also offers excellent opportunities to instill good habits and valuable life skills in children.

Seeing you at work gives them a chance to understand your other responsibilities. First-time homepreneurs, in particular, can put to ease worries about their new business pulling them away from their kid’s childhood.

The new normal has eased many such barriers that existed for female entrepreneurs in all these years. The changes introduced by COVID-19 have transformed the corporate landscape, and many of them have created favourable circumstances for female entrepreneurs.

The ease of starting and running a business from anywhere, and changing perceptions of women’s responsibilities, have made it an opportune moment for women who want to step into the business world.

As 2020 became the year of ‘virtual everything’, leaders and brands bolstered their digital content to build and maintain relationships with stakeholders. We saw unprecedented acceleration in digitalization, e-commerce and remote working. Businesses navigated the cycle of reset, restoration and recovery; as did their content narratives, underpinned by shifts in the market, customer preferences, economic landscape and societal needs.

In 2021, amid the continuing uncertainty, leveraging content to create value is imperative. I see individual leaders and corporate brands increasing their investments in digital assets and social media content as per the following trends:

Increased C-level communication on social media

90% of financial readers and 80% of employees expect to hear from a CEO on social media during a crisis, according to Brunswick’s Connected Leadership research. Different stakeholders have different expectations of CXOs. Customers expect the same service remotely. Employees want reassurance as they work in isolation from home; shareholders seek performance. C-level leaders stepped up their internal and external communication, including social media advocacy, during the pandemic. A prominent example is that of Goldman Sachs’ chairman & CEO leveraging LinkedIn to inform, inspire and influence others about safety and health, supporting frontline workers, adjusting to the new normal and the importance of mental health. Messages around prioritizing workforce well-being led to increased productivity, innovation, and work-life balance.

Renewed focus on authenticity

With more businesses investing in digital content, there is more noise out there than ever. This clearly brings the focus on authenticity and thought leadership. Being real in your conversations and concerns is the key to engage stakeholders. Authenticity can help cut through the noise quickly in a cluttered space. If your content is genuine and relatable, readers trust you, value your advice, and buy your products and services. The right tone for these times is authentic, not opportunistic. Customers do not like being pushed with salesy content when looking for answers. Focus on sharing real experiences, reporting on facts, and giving insights and knowledge to benefit and educate your audiences. Brands such as PepsiCo, Unilever and Nestle shared impact stories and educational Covid-19 resources with audiences.

Being open about vulnerabilities

2020 saw more leaders embrace vulnerability openly. More people engaged in calls and webinars, with their children and pets playing in the background. Many shared their own challenges of working remotely. Leaders grounded in reality fueled more robust relationships and performance. For instance, one of the LinkedIn Top Voices 2020, Radhika Gupta, MD and CEO, Edelweiss AMC, shared her innermost thoughts and feelings with experiences from her journey and tough realities, like job loss, that leaders often don’t talk openly about.

Leaders were okay with not having all the answers. They were okay with not being okay. Probably it was the unprecedented and universal nature of the crisis that made leaders open to being publicly vulnerable.

Finding a useful pivot

In an unpredictable environment, the outlook and perspectives that different organization took, shaped conversations. Brands that found a positive, useful pivot to craft helpful content, created an impact. Brands that chose not to feed fear, by focusing on connections not isolation, on hope not speculation, on compassion not differences, emerged winners. Examples like Nike’s Play inside, play for the world and Lego’s #BeAHero campaigns stood out.

Focusing on real stories

Whether it was to motivate employees, build confidence or demonstrate ESG-driven conduct, discovering untold stories from stakeholder experiences required brands to dig deep internally. Stories of simple acts of kindness from employees, of leveraging technology to thrive, or supporting communities — true stories went a long way in reinforcing trust. Personal observations and stories of hope, fostering new connections virtually and receiving care and compassion made for powerful content.