As restrictions gradually ease and the economy starts to re-open, businesses will contemplate how to bring their employees back into the office and kick off the “new normal” for their organisation.
Just as it was hard for business leaders to manage their way into the pandemic, it will also be difficult for leaders to judge the pace of adjustment required on the way out of the pandemic.
Leaders should be conscious of how their staff will feel during this period of readjustment. After all, change is hard for people – and 2020 has been all about multiple jarring changes coming one on top of the other. Returning to work is just another change for our stressed systems to process.
Leaders can make the post-lockdown return to work easier by looking out for five key things.
1. Health and safety is still the top priority
In putting together return-to-work plans, the safety of staff and customers is still the number one priority. In practice, this means things like managing the number of people in the office at once, reconsidering the need for large staff gatherings, updating health-related workplace norms like enforcing sick leave, and increasing the frequency and type of office cleaning required.
2. Make the change gradual
Big bang changes are harder for us to process, and in this pandemic recovery, a gradual re-acclimatising is likely to be easier for both staff and leaders to manage. Flex up the hours staff spend onsite gradually, and rotate people through the office in smaller groups rather than all at once. Stagger start and finish times to minimise staff exposure to peak periods on public transport. Maintain some level of remote working – it’s a handy safety net if staff become unwell or government restrictions change again.
3. Be mindful of wellbeing
Just because management is ready for staff to be onsite again does not mean workers are mentally ready as well. Some staff may have issues at home with children not readjusting well to school routines; they may have partners dealing with newfound unemployment. We are changed people from when we went into this pandemic. Leaders need to look for things like staff absenteeism, irritability and difficulty concentrating – and respond with kindness and empathy. Use your EAP resources actively to help staff in the readjustment period.
4. Consider team culture and morale
Re-acclimatising to the office will be unsettling for staff, particularly if some of their colleagues have involuntarily left the organisation. With physical spaces being altered to accommodate more space between desks, and highly social crowded lunchrooms now quiet, the whole experience of being in the office will be different. This will be hard to get used to. Promote the positives as much as possible, and invest time in whatever small team events are possible within current restrictions.
5. Continue to over-communicate
In any crisis, leaders must over-communicate to satisfy our hunger for information, and to provide a sense of calm and control. As we return to our new normality, it’s imperative that leaders continue to explain what is happening and what the plan is for bringing new order to our circumstances. Consider regular bulletins by e-mail, virtual staff meetings via Zoom, or a daily Q&A on Slack - whatever works for your people.
The key advice to leaders managing workplace return is to show empathy and sensitivity to how staff are adjusting. Taking things gently will make for a more comfortable and productive workplace in the long run.
If you want to improve your ability to handle crises, consider our Crisis Management Training for your team, or consider our leadership coaching services.
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