The thought of returning your workforce to the office may seem intimidating after months of working from home. There is a level of uncertainty and perhaps even anxiety when determining the best way to transition back to a new version of “business as usual.” While some workplaces continue to operate virtually, there are some returning to a physical workforce, whether a full or a partial return to office.
For companies planning a return, there are a few ways to mitigate risk and ensure the safety and wellbeing of employees as they travel back to the workplace after months of working from home. In this blog post, we will outline three key elements needed in your return to office plan to provide a smooth, safe and prepared transition for your employees.
Prepare a Comprehensive Plan
Having a clear and comprehensive return-to work-plan before allowing employees to come back to the office is essential. The plan should include protocols and procedures focusing on reducing the risk of infection, health and safety obligations, effective internal communication processes and a list of personal protective equipment (PPE) that will be provided to on-site team members. When creating the plan, refer to federal guidelines for reopening your workplace. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have resources and guidelines to help.
Your plan should also consider the need for returning to the office. If it isn’t necessary to bring employees back, don’t push it. Try returning team members in phases to prevent an overload of employees coming back at once. There is no single blueprint that is successful for every organization. Align your plan with employee needs and incorporate specific aspects that work for your company. Understand this plan is a living document and will change over time. As the pandemic evolves and new information is presented, employers will need to modify their office approach. Be sure to stay up to date on the status of the pandemic and state regulations and recommendations to efficiently update the plan to align with the current environment.
Understand the Risk Level for Each Employee
When deciding to reopen the workplace, employee compliance should remain voluntary. Every employee is under a different level of risk or many have health conditions that can negatively impact their safety, mental or physical health. Ultimately, if your employees have been successful while working remotely and your daily work allows it, allow flexibility to decide what is best for each employee, their work and their health.
Anticipate the Chance of Exposure
With positive cases of COVID-19 increasing every day and no vaccine currently available, your workplace should understand the chances of exposure when bringing team members back to the office.
When preparing to return to the workplace, it is crucial to not only understand the risks, but have a communication strategy and safety plan in place in the event of exposure within your workplace or to one of your employees. If an employee is exposed to an illness, such as COVID-19, the FDA recommends employers send sick or unwell employees home, close off areas of potential exposure, clean and disinfect the space, increase air circulation by opening doors or windows and collect information for other employees who may have been in contact with that person to inform them of the situation and monitor symptoms.
Returning to work should not be scary; creating a precautious and calculated process that prepares for any scenario is key. Be sure to follow guidelines, create a plan, allow for voluntary return of employees and understand the risks. Despite the risks, many employees are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to return to “normal” and go back into the office. In fact, a recent study shared that although 12% of employees were ready to return to the office full time, nearly 75% were ready to return part-time. If your employees are ready, and so is your organization, utilize this information as a resource to prepare for the return of a somewhat “normal” working environment.
To learn more about prioritizing employee’s mental and physical health, check out our blog on Not All Wellness Programs Are Created Equally: 3 Proven Tactics!
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