Since lockdown ended, I’ve been travelling interstate more frequently for work, and speaking to clients and colleagues with a range of perspectives on the current state of our workplaces. At a recent leadership dinner, talk inevitably turned to COVID, a natural topic at almost every social gathering since early last year.
With Australia having navigated the early phases of the pandemic in comparably better shape than other nations, and many workplaces starting to return to some normality, the particular dilemma occupying the minds of these leaders was what to do in response to some employees refusing to return to work.
Their view was that most staff wanted to return to the office – at least for some days of the week – but they commonly reported a small minority who simply refused to give up full-time work from home arrangements.
The cause, of course, is multi-factorial – anything from legitimate personal health issues, fears of commuting on public transport, difficulty juggling changed family commitments, deterioration in mental wellbeing and coping skills, or just an honest preference to conduct work solo away from the distractions of an office.
Of course, from a strictly legal point of view, employers can issue reasonable directions to staff to return to normal hours and locations of work. However, some leaders understandably prefer not to force employees, and are shying away from harsh enforcement of their legal position.
How, then, do leaders entice staff to return to work and manage the needs of both the organisation and its people sensitively?
Our advice in an earlier blog still holds true – put the health and safety as your first priority, make the change gradual with time for people to adjust, be mindful of wellbeing, invest in team culture and morale, and continue to over-communicate.
But a year on from lockdown, some further thoughts occur to us.
Ideally leaders create a positive and supportive office cultures that entice staff to return in ways that are suitable for everyone. Some approaches you might consider include:
Reinforcing the social bonds in the office – start with an offsite team lunch to reconnect on a human level, and don’t worry so much about work discussions to start with
Bringing lunches or social opportunities into the office if possible – this might be a regular free catered lunch, morning tea or end of week drinks for office-based staff
Making time in every team meeting (whether virtual or hybrid) for some banter and personal checking-in – we suggest the first five minutes of a team meeting should be about connecting as people, sharing stories of your weekends or other personal news
Improving the work environment – this might involve comfortable new chairs, double screens, removing mess, or installing some pot plants to improve air quality and provide greenery. Perhaps a junk room can be converted to a small meeting room, staff lounge or phone booth for private calls? Perhaps the lunch room could have some music, a new coffee machine or a television?
Considering subsidised car parking for staff who are worried about commuting on public transport
Beyond these ideas, employers might want to consider more substantial changes to compensation arrangements. This might mean formalised access to flexible hours, staggered shifts, work from home allowances, or child care assistance. These directions need to be thought through strategically in order to position your organisation for the future, and deliver on your medium term goals and aspirations.
If it is all seeming too difficult and nothing you have tried is working, perhaps it is simply time to ask your team what would entice them back and involve them in a process of co-design. This could be done through one-on-one discussions or an anonymous survey. Involving people in decisions that affect them helps people to be more committed to whatever is finally decided.
The conversations we have as a team about how we collaboratively design our work future can enable us to keep the flexibility and agility we discovered in the pandemic, and mix it with the best of our familiar routines, as well as innovations to address our desired future working styles.
Ultimately, we still believe that the key advice to leaders managing workplace return is to show empathy and sensitivity to your people. Work together with a firm focus on what the future holds.
Tip - if you'd like some help to deal with a difficult personnel challenge like this in your team, explore our leadership coaching services.
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