At some point soon, employees will begin returning to physical office life. Companies are eager to bring their teams back to the workplace, shedding the stress that has accompanied Zoom calls and virtual communication.
That’s not to say that a widespread transition back to the office will be easy. Many employees have grown comfortable with working remotely and feel anxious about a return to the physical workplace. HR leaders can help ease the transition through proactive measures such as acknowledging the challenges of the past year, offering flexibility in the transition and actively supporting employee mental health.
Acknowledge the challenges of the transition
Very few people felt any sense of normalcy over the past year, with every employee facing unique challenges to continue working during the pandemic. While HR professionals figured out the best ways to keep their teams moving forward, employees juggled their new remote reality with existing responsibilities, such as taking care of kids, pets or even managing their unreliable internet connection.
Acknowledge the challenges your teams overcame to keep the company running during these unprecedented times. Express gratitude for the effort and time employees dedicated to transitioning to remote work and recognize that obstacles still lie ahead as your team moves back to the office. Use open and honest communication with employees to make them feel like valued members of the team and create excitement around returning to in-person work.
Offer flexibility
Flexibility will be key for HR leaders who want to implement a successful transition back to the workplace. While a quick switch back to the office might be ideal for many companies, it simply isn’t the most effective way to usher teams back to “business as usual.”
Implement flexible scheduling for those who are returning to in-person work. Employees have spent the past year restructuring their lives to incorporate remote work, and many have grown fond of not having to be in the office five days a week. Some might prefer full-time remote work, while others might wish to come in a few days a week. Gauge your employees’ perspectives on having a flexible work policy and adjust strategies accordingly.
Proactively support your team
Periods of change tend to increase stress, anxiety and other emotional challenges. Employees will need time to build new routines around a return to work just as they did during the start of the pandemic when they transitioned to working remotely.
Understand this transition will be emotionally taxing and that it should happen gradually instead of all at once. Proactively support your teams through implementing mental health and counseling support, providing employee assistance programs and creating open channels of communication to company leaders.
Companies that acknowledge the difficulty of a transition back to the office will be the ones most equipped to handle it successfully. While HR professionals have a lot of obstacles ahead, their continued dedication to and support of employee well-being will go a long way in successfully ushering in a transition back to the workplace.
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