How to Support Employees’ Return to Work Post-Covid

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November 4th 2021

With lockdowns easing across the country, employees will inevitably be wondering when that fateful day is that they return to work, and the office. Covid-19 restrictions meant that many offices had to shut down and move to a working from home set-up if they were able to. Worries about the virus will naturally be a big hurdle for many companies looking to get things back to normal, but effectively communicating to your employees the steps they need to take to get back into the office safely will be of utmost importance. So, what should they expect when returning to work after Covid?

 

Clear Communication and Understanding

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Effective communication is key to providing your employees with the information they need when returning to the workplace, whether they’re still working from home for now, or are set to come back to work soon.

 

Keep Communication Channels Open and Accessible

Setting up a company email address specifically for Covid updates can be advantageous, ensuring your employees get any information and updates as soon as possible, especially when in a shared working space. Regular (or even daily) emails can help to put employee worries at ease, as you help them to understand that you’re taking things seriously and are proactive about their health and safety. If an employee has tested positive, the entire team can know what extra steps they need to take when coming into the office, or if they must move to a work from home set-up for the time being. Clear messaging is key in making sure your employees know the protocols.

 

Mental Health in the Workplace and Covid Worries

Many of your employees may have taken a dip in their mental health, due to lockdowns and socially distancing from friends and family. This is now the best time to set up a mental health and wellbeing program in your company or office. Addressing serious mental health concerns should be at the forefront of any business owner’s strategy, allowing employees to have access to support systems to help their transition back into the workplace after a global pandemic. Regular check-ins by company leadership should also help to ease any concerns workers may have.

 

Supporting Their Return to Work – Process and Reassurance

It is vital that your employees understand that you’re there for them. Naturally, you want them to have a seamless transition back into the office, whether it’s a serviced office or co-working environment, but they also need to feel seen and heard when they raise any concerns. This is why clear steps need to be outlined as a process of returning, and reassurance should be given to them at every turn that you’re doing everything in your power to keep Covid at bay, so they can work free from worry.

 

Return to Work With New Office Layouts and Safety Protocols

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Getting back into the office safely is the clear goal for any business. From spacing out furniture to enact strict social distancing, to putting in place new safety rules that each and every employee must adhere to, there are steps you can take to ensure a Covid-free working environment.

 

A Clean Workstation is a Covid-Free Workstation

Employees should have basic training on how to properly clean down and disinfect any work surface they have used that day. An increase in overall office hygiene should be undertaken during any outbreak, let alone a global pandemic. Workstations should not be the only thing getting regular clean downs, however. Kitchens, toilets, staircases, and lifts should all be properly maintained to ensure no one is at risk in the office. Hiring more cleaning staff is an expense that is definitely worth it, allowing those professionals to keep any sign of a virus at bay.

 

Shared Spaces Require Strict Social Distancing

Social distancing will be necessary when workers come back into the office. This means moving desks further away from one another, and not allowing employees to congregate around the water tank for a gossip. It sounds harsh, but these steps have to be taken to ensure overall safety, especially in co-working office spaces, where there may be more than one business or company present at a time. Making sure employees stay at least 6 feet apart (and enforcing this rule as a new office standard) will be enough to minimize any risk to health.

 

Installing Clear Safety Signs and Creating Company Guidelines

Clear signage around the workplace will help employees to understand the dos and don’ts of their new environment. Wall signs expressing the need for social distancing and floor signs/arrows showing one-way systems that may be in place are great ways of embedding the new rules in your employees minds. Managers and team leaders should also be aware of the resources they have at their disposal to support their colleagues, from both a mental health and physical health standpoint.

 

A Return-To-Work Guide Can Remove the Guesswork

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Whilst communicating clearly to your employees about what they need to do when returning to work, creating, and distributing a return-to-work guide to them will give them something they can refer back to if they are ever confused about the new normal.

 

Before Returning to the Office – What Are the Steps Employees Need to Take?

A clear and concise outline of the exact steps employees must take should be critical. Some steps should include:

  • A recent negative Covid-19 test
  • Relevant company forms filled out to show they are fit to come back to work
  • Fluency in Government Covid guidelines – social distancing, mask wearing etc.
  • Mental health checks by management or team leaders

There may be other steps needed by your particular company to ensure the safety of everyone at the office, but it is imperative that all employees know and understand the new protocols that are in place before eventually returning to work.

 

Travelling/Commuting to Work and Building Safety

Your employees will need to outline how they are travelling to work, as public transport may increase risks and are slightly more unpredictable than travelling alone in a car, walking or biking. When they arrive at work, are they required to use a different entrance, or check-in at the front desk so you can keep an eye on numbers? Either way, they should enter the building wearing a mask for more protection. They should be aware of how many colleagues are currently in the space, so they can adjust or change their work area accordingly. If they are going to have to change their working style, they must be told beforehand, so it does not affect their productivity or output.

 

How Employees Can Return to Work After Contracting Coronavirus

Testing positive for Covid does not mean an employee is never able to return to the workplace, but there should be clear guidelines on what to do if they contract it. The employee should immediately enter self-quarantine, staying at home for up to two weeks while they fight the virus. If they feel well enough to work still, they can have reduced hours working from home if possible. If they present a negative test to management after self-quarantining, they should be clear to return to the office around 48 hours later.

 

 

It’s critical that you ensure that your employees’ return to work is as smooth as possible, despite the worries of the world outside of the office. Whether you’re downscaling and working around others in a Serviced Office Space, upscaling and have your own new office layout sorted and guideline compliant in a Managed Office, or are testing out a phased return to work for your employees, safety must be at the forefront of any business in the post-Covid world.

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