The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on individuals and businesses all over the world.
Government restrictions forced many companies to allow their employees to work either partially or completely from home.
However, as the situation begins to decline, more businesses are starting to bring their employees back to the office on either a part-time or full-time basis.
While some employees are excited about the return to the office, others will not be as happy about having to return to work.
Some employees may find the transition stressful and may be anxious about being in a confined space with so many people.
Taking the time to prepare your workforce for the return to the office will ensure that the process is as seamless as possible, allowing your company to finally return to ‘business as usual.’
Let’s take a look at a few things that you can do to prepare your workforce for returning to the office.
What you can expect in this article:
Get Your Systems Back In Place
You may have changed some of your business processes to cater to your remote work setup.
However, now that you are returning to the office, you need to ensure that you have everything up and running in advance of your team arriving.
Plug all of the electronics back in and make sure that everything is working correctly.
Tools such as timesheet software improves accuracy when it comes to tracking employee work hours, especially when they are coming and going from your business premises.
With your office functioning correctly you can rest easy knowing that there will be minimum disruption when you transition back to working in the office.
Reevaluate Your Working Style
When you return to work there is a high probability that there will be social distancing guidelines in place for some time to come.
If your business requires a lot of face-to-face meetings with clients, for example, you may need to reevaluate how you conduct this portion of your business.
Taking the time to reevaluate how you are utilising the space in your business premises, talking COVID protocols into place will allow you to get the most from your space as you return to work.
Share Your Company’s COVID Protocols
To ensure that your team is prepared when they arrive at the office, be sure to inform them of the protocols that you have put in place in advance.
Sending an office email highlighting what is required of employees in the workplace before they come back to work will be helpful.
You can also host a virtual meeting to further discuss the new protocols and address any issues that your team might have.
Listen To Your Team
Keeping open lines of communication and listening to the concerns of your team throughout the transition period is crucial in ensuring everything goes as smoothly as possible.
Your team may be able to identify potential pitfalls with the setup of the new premise that you may have missed.
Or perhaps they have additional health concerns that you overlooked.
Be sure to listen to your team and take on board what they have to say to ensure that everyone can return to work safely.
Be There For Your Staff Through The Return To The Office
Making the move back to the office, after such a long break could be overwhelming for some of your employees.
Make sure that you are there to help them through the transition and support them in their move back to the office.
Looking after the mental health and well-being of your team is crucial during these difficult times.
Working closely with your employees during and after the transition will ensure that your team returns to work safely and that everyone is comfortable throughout the switch.
