This op-ed is a followup to our 12 Insurance Trends for 2020 blog article, originally published in December 2019.

The COVID-19 global health crisis impacts everyone, and we all respond in different ways. Some people have retreated in fear, while others grow frustrated at the idea of an uncertain future. And then there are those who obsess over the world news and are consumed with feelings of doom and despair. For individuals who are especially vulnerable, have fallen ill, or are grieving the loss of a loved one, this pandemic is literally a fight of life-and-death proportions.

With the current social distancing efforts and shelter-in-place mandates throughout the country, many office workers are now performing their jobs from the comfort of their own homes. However, in the case of remote work, comfort – at least in the traditional context – isn't always ideal for productivity.

Some employers have been hesitant to offer telecommuting options for fear of potential harm to work ethic and performance. But with widespread shelter-in-place orders amid the COVID-19 public health crisis, these companies have been forced to adopt the unfamiliar working arrangement, with little or no time to prepare in advance.

Although it’s only been a few short months since the novel coronavirus (COVID-19, or COVID) public health crisis began, we’ve already seen dramatic changes in social and economic structures across the globe. “Business as usual” has been pushed aside, replaced by a large-scale call for social distancing in an unprecedented, collective effort to slow, and eventually halt the spread of the disease.