The Covid worldwide epidemic has caused me to reflect on the societal changes that followed the Black Plague in the 1300s. That plague killed 75—200 million people, a third of Europe’s population. Between the Black Plague and the Great Famine that occurred approximately 20 years earlier, it is estimated that by the 14th century, the world population was reduced from 474 million to 350-375 million. The European social and political system at that time was feudalism, in which the King rewarded nobles and knights for their loyalty by granting them land (fiefs) as well as control over the vassals or serfs who lived on the land.
The plague, which indiscriminately killed nobles and peasants alike, brought into question the prevailing belief that God had given royalty the right to rule. Following the plague, there were religious, social, and economic upheavals. The plague created vast labor shortages freeing the serfs to leave their Lords' lands to seek wages elsewhere. Land, which had been the primary source of wealth for the noble class, was now worthless without the free labor of serfs to till the land. A middle class of commoners arose, who enjoyed greater freedom than the serfs had experienced. They became craftsmen and merchants, and their travels both spread and grew the existing knowledge. These changes laid the foundations for the fall of feudalism over the subsequent 100 years and the rise of a capitalist market economy. From this perspective, the Black Plague did not cause subsequent societal changes. Rather, the shift in the foundational beliefs that had held the feudal system in place caused its downfall. It was a change in mindset that led to the Renaissance.
With this recognition that crises can be a catalyst to reject existing societal ideas, I am reflecting on the possible mindsets that could be altered after Covid. The World Health Organization estimates that Covid has killed 6 million people worldwide and is not yet over. I am particularly interested in changes that may occur in the working life of people. The US has a culture where:
- corporate success is privileged over the rights of employees
- managers have the power to demand long working hours from employees
- employees are regarded as resources that can be eliminated when costs need to be cut
- employees have little voice in the strategic and policy decisions that impact their working life
- employee health and well-being (Pfeffer) are secondary to an organization improving shareholder value.
With the pandemic still active, it is not yet possible to predict what far-reaching societal changes may occur. Still, recent surveys suggest potential changes:
- Before the pandemic, 5% of US employees worked from home, now, approximately 40% are working from home at least three days a week, and those numbers appear unlikely to change.
- “Almost two-thirds (65%) of workers surveyed report their approach to wellness has changed over the last two years, and they expect more support from their employers.”
- “Flexibility and work-life balance trump financial compensation. A whopping 63% of job seekers recently surveyed indicated work-life balance was their top priority when picking a new job, above compensation.”
- “54% of respondents said that transparency around a company’s record on addressing diversity and inclusion in the workplace is extremely or very important, with a similar share (53%) saying the same about a company’s impact on the environment.”
With growing new mindsets about work and the advent of technology that opens information to not just a privileged few but to all employees, it is possible to envision more equitable and innovative forms of organizing. We have already seen a rise in organizations that are more decentralized, democratic, networked, and collaborative. Digital platforms such as Airbnb, Uber, and Upwork have allowed a larger pool of workers to be directly matched with consumers. A greater variation in what it means to “work,” manifested in the deconstruction of jobs and a 30% rise in the “gig” or freelance economy, suggests fewer long-term employment ties to organizations.
Is something occurring that is not so much a response to the death and loss we have experienced during this present-day plague but a kind of freedom from expectations we have placed on ourselves and perhaps now begin to recognize as self-deception?
Are we experiencing a release from the ideas that were binding us? Are we beginning to travel electronically, toward a new era, as the serfs of old once did?