Originally Posted by
slats11
Business will be harder hit. Fewer conferences. For business meetings, the bean-counters and CEOs will be saying "Well, zoom worked pretty well for 6 months ....." In addition to saving $, businesses will think about their liability and reduced productivity if an employee contracted COVID during work-related travel when there was a safer alternative.
This is just based on those who work in office buildings, but feedback I’ve heard suggests Zoom isn’t the be all and end all of business communication. A lot of employees sick of talking with their colleagues on a screen all day long, and want to be back in a physical location together. Meetings aren’t as good online as they are in person, can’t pick up the personal communications, can’t detect body language, can’t have quick off the record chats with clients etc. We hear the same suggestion that online conferencing would replace business travel all the time, including post GFC but business travel always seems to return. Even in the age of technology being physically in front of people is the best way to do business.
If anything I’d expect leisure travel to be slightly more affected as holidays are one of the first things to be cut in a recession.
In terms of liability I’m sure in time contacting COVID on a business trip will be the same as contracting the flu on a business trip in terms of corporate liability.