More than a year into the pandemic, many of us have found ourselves missing the human interactions we once experienced in our everyday lives. When it comes to our professional world, workplaces have undergone major shifts over the past year, with many transitioning to a completely remote workforce. However, as vaccines become more readily available, a return to the office is becoming a safe and viable option. With many of us looking forward to seeing our colleagues in person again, we’ve shared our top tips for a safe transition back to face-to-face work.
Be transparent about your plans.
Throughout the pandemic, employees have become accustomed to new routines and habits from working partially or fully from home. With restrictions loosening and many companies returning to a full-time in-person atmosphere, it’s perfectly natural that your team members may have questions. Be honest about the organization’s plans to return to face-to-face, and let employees know what safeguards will be in place in this “new normal,” such as sanitizing stations, plexiglass partitions, and other personal protective equipment. Let your employees know about any new cleaning practices that will be in place at this time, and ask them about any concerns they may have. Be willing to create a dialogue and keep the lines of communication open.
Create a return-to-work plan.
In the interest of transparency, creating a return-to-work plan accessible to your employees can help eliminate confusion and alleviate any doubts they may have. This plan should address social distancing guidelines and any specific needs of your team members, and should provide a helpful timeline so that employees know what to expect.
Engage your employees through interactive challenges.
Whether your entire workforce is returning back to the office at once or you have more of a gradual return-to-work plan, it’s important to ensure that your employees feel a sense of connection and belonging. Engaging with your employees through health challenges will not only foster collaboration, but will also help improve their overall health and wellbeing. Try out one of our 40+ Corporate Wellness Challenges for a fun way to motivate and reward your team!
Provide resources to help your employees with the transition.
For some employees, the idea of venturing back to an in-person role may feel a little intimidating, especially after growing accustomed to remote work for a full year. You can ease this transition by providing resources that may help them through this major change. We love this article from The Muse on how employees can make themselves at home again once they are back on-site at work! SHRM has also provided this handy COVID-19 Back-to-Work Checklist, addressing 10 key issues that companies may face in this time.
Consider a hybrid model.
Depending on your employees’ individual needs, it may make sense to incorporate a hybrid model. In other words, you may choose to have some employees work on-site full-time and others remotely, or potentially allow all employees the opportunity to work partially at home and partially in the office. Take time to evaluate which roles would function best on-site versus in a remote capacity, and plan accordingly from there. This article weighs the pros and cons of a hybrid work-from-home model, and shares some tips for making that model work for your organization.
As we dive further into 2021, there is hope on the horizon for a return to some normalcy. These tips will help bring more of a human element back to the workplace this year.
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