6 Tips for Employees Returning Back to the Office

With vaccine rollouts expected to ramp up in 2021, many companies that have yet to bring their employees back to the office will be doing so during the first half of the year. If your business is among them, it's important to understand that it won't be possible to revert to the old ways of doing things. Changes will be necessary to keep employee morale high, support productivity and foster a healthy, positive work environment. Following these tips will help promote a smoother transition:

1. Provide Support for Anxiety and Stress

Everyone has been through trauma since the start of this pandemic, and returning to the office is likely to cause your employees stress and anxiety.

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Acknowledging these feelings can go a long way toward supporting the mental health of your team. In addition, consider providing counseling opportunities for your team.

2. Keep Things As Flexible as Possible

Even if your company's workdays are approaching something closer to normal, recognize that your employees' lives may still be in a state of upheaval. Their children may still be learning at home or participating in hybrid learning split between the home and classroom. Their partners may be facing unemployment and in the midst of a job search.

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They may have been isolated from at-risk family members for lunch and feel eager to reunite. Allowing for flexibility in scheduling can help your employees better balance all of their obligations, allowing them to be more focused during the workday.

3. Establish Clear Safety Protocols

Vaccines are just one of the weapons that will be used to battle back the pandemic. Social distancing, hand washing and mask wearing will still be necessary throughout much of 2021 while we work toward herd immunity. As a result, it's vital for your company to put together a set of clear safety protocols for all employees.

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Communicate what steps you will be taking before employees return to the office to help alleviate their fears, inspire their confidence and make adopting the new protocols easier for everyone.

4. Lead by Example

Whatever rules you put in place to protect your employees, be prepared to follow them yourself and charge every executive, manager and supervisor to do the same. It's become apparent during the pandemic that when leaders fail to practice what they preach, people are less likely to heed guidelines.

5. Stay Up to Date on Expert Guidance

As our knowledge about COVID-19 continues to grow, best practices for public health are likely to change. Make sure that you stay abreast on the latest guidance. When necessary, update your safety protocols and make sure you explain to your team why they are necessary.

6. Maintain Good Air Quality

Research has shown that good ventilation systems can help to diminish some of the risk of COVID-19 transmission when used with other interventions like masks and social distancing.

If the windows in your office are operable, keep them open when weather permits. Using smart air filtration systems can also help you keep tabs on indoor air quality.