Things You Need to Consider Returning to Work After COVID-19

The return to regular work is imminent for many employees around the world as the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus response are reviewed.

This is a welcome step for companies that have struggled with the disruption of remote working, social isolation and travel embargoes.

But reintroduction to office life can be dangerous if it is mishandled. Companies that do not plan for it properly risk a volatile, fragile and partial transition.

Despite this warning, only 10% of recently surveyed executives have undertaken "comprehensive" planning.

CEOs planning to return to their regular business premises need a plan that maintains security, manages resources and restores morale.

Below are 7 key considerations to ensure a successful transition back to the workplace;

Managing headcount

Large numbers of employees returning to a common workplace pose a great risk of spreading and becoming infected with viruses. Managing the number of employees will be crucial to protect health in the workplace. The higher the number, the higher the risk. When it comes to COVID-19, it is really a numbers game.

Plan a staggered reintroduction to the office. Set up a procedure so that every few days a rotating group of employees work from the office. Form these groups across functional areas to ensure that the different roles are covered and to help keep employees at a distance. Resist the temptation to open the doors for everyone on the same day - it's not worth the risk.

Such a limitation of the number of employees will create a greater need for shift coverage. In addition to healthcare and similar essential services, this will affect call centers, front-line retail, manufacturing and other industries. Companies will need to manage this by providing real-time information to team members across all devices through tools such as registration alerts.

Maintaining remote working

Despite the availability of regular jobs, it is advisable for companies to maintain some form of remote working (at least for a few months). The reasons for this are financial and practical.

In regions where the threat of COVID-19 remains high, rolling closures and outsourcing may continue for some time. Rolling back and forth between central and remote labor states is extremely disruptive, but it is minimized by a workforce that is used to it and practices it consistently.

Many organizations will choose to have employees work from home for economic reasons. Others may be forced to return to remote working if an employee suddenly becomes infected with the virus. This underlines the importance of an effective communication platform to connect with employees working from home.

Rethink the physical setup

The re-opening of workstations will not completely remove all restrictions imposed during COVID-19. Companies will still have to comply with regulations on social distancing, staff meetings and hygiene practices. It is likely that working environments created before the introduction of the virus will be unsuitable for these new restrictions.

Companies will need to be proactive in redesigning their offices. The requirement for six feet of space between employees has implications for individual seating arrangements and shared spaces such as cafeterias.

Restore the work ethic

The human component of returning to office life requires as much attention as the practical one. For employees who have been away from their workplace for weeks or months, returning to work will feel unsettling. Much may have changed in the meantime. Some of your old team colleagues may not return at all.

Successful companies thrive on a motivated workforce, so it is important that managers make efforts to rebuild morale in the workplace. Take note of employees' concerns and discouragement and be sensitive to announcements regarding the new work environment.

There are many ways in which companies can improve workplace culture, including by encouraging achievement, encouraging cross-functional collaboration and providing a positive vision of the future. When the time is right and the regulations allow it, consider a fun team-building event to lift the spirits and let off some steam.

Review of infrastructure needs

For most businesses, it will take many months to get back to what they were before COVID-19 was interrupted - if it returns at all. This means that there are likely to be shortcomings in the infrastructure and support that employees need to perform their jobs now.

Effective platforms that enable employees to communicate, connect and collaborate are essential for sustainable business success. Each department should review its operations and identify any areas with deficiencies, particularly in technology and communications infrastructure. Research, evaluation and implementation should be expedited to avoid a crippling loss of productivity.

Investments in these areas are being accelerated by IT teams around the world to support the thousands of employees who work from home. A survey of CIOs and senior technical executives found that they now account for more than 30% of annual IT budgets in a number of organizations.

Maintain regular communication

The COVID 19 situation has forced the organisations to intensify their communication. Many of them have communicated more with their employees in recent months than they traditionally do under normal conditions. The value of internal communication during this crisis has been recognized by C-Suite executives.

Returning to their accustomed workplaces is not the right time to relax this. Progress made on business initiatives while working from a distance must continue seamlessly once you are back in the office. It's easy for a change of environment to disrupt your focus, but keeping the lines of communication open will help you overcome this.

Maintaining a regular frequency of communication also gives security to employees, who will naturally have questions about the future of the company and their jobs. Two-way communication channels, such as employee surveys, should be introduced to capture the mood at work, how employees feel and what they need.

Embed what you have learned

The changes in work forced by COVID-19 have brought some benefits to companies. Many have seen increased collaboration within and between teams, more productive work routines and a strengthening of positive health practices. Smart companies will now try to embed the lessons learned into their future business practices.

Encourage virtual collaboration in person by encouraging cross-functional committees and changing seating arrangements to make this possible. Break silos by regularly reporting the status of key projects for each functional area. Maintain healthy workplace hygiene by reminding sick staff to stay home - especially important given the ongoing risk of COVID-19 infection

A survey conducted towards the end of March found that 41% of workers were afraid to go to work because of the risk of exposure. Don't allow inattention to endanger public health or the success of your return to office life.

Return to work programmes are now essential for business development. Taking these considerations into account when developing your plan for returning to office life will help ensure that your plan is a fruitful rather than a fragile return.

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